Memorial Day

To all those past, present and future heroes who serve in our military - we thank you!

Inspiration Challenge

Today's challenge over at Splitcoaststampers is to use THIS site to inspire a card design.  I also combined it with the Clean & Simple sketch for today.  I chose the black & white section and found some really pretty Damask designs.  I then searched thru my 2, yes 2, tins full of embossing folders to find the one that I knew matched.  The rest just kind of fell into place.  What do you think?

Card details:

Cardstock - white, black, Hawaiian Shores (PTI)
Stamps - Authentic Man ( {ippity} )

Ink - Hawaiian Shores (PTI)

Accessories - embossing folder, button, ribbon, corner punch, nesties

Star day

Since it's almost Memorial Day, I thought I'd combine some challenges into one card.  I used Splitcoaststampers Ways To Use It   challenge, we had to use a star on our card, and Clean & Simple's sketch.

I love clean & simple cards, but they don't come naturally to me.  Just something I need to practice more.

Card details:

Cardstock - white, Real Red (SU), dsp

Stamps - Star Butterfly (Lockhart), Warm Words (SU)

Accessories - ribbon, rhinestones, copics

Triple Threat

I was surfing through The Daily Dare's site (great place for inspiration challenges!) and came upon three that I liked.  Combining a color challenge, sketch and theme all into one card is great when the mojo isn't flowing at full speed.

First off, I used colors from The Color Throwdown's challenge for this week

Then I went over the Splitcoaststampers and used their sketch for today

and combined that with Paper Pretties challenge to make a birthday card and came up with this - 

Card details:

Cardstock - white, Ivory (Gina K), Vintage Violet (SU), Old Olive (SU), SU dsp

Stamps - Thoughts and Prayers (SU), Fillable Frames #8 (Papertrey, Ink)

Accessories - nesties

Tea Time!

As some of you know, I'm a tea drinker.  My absolute favorite is Starbucks's Chai tea - YUM!  Buried in amongst all of my stamped images, I came across this cute stack of tea cups.  I wanted to keep the feel of this card light and simple.  I went with a clean & simple layout and kept the colors muted.  Thanks for looking!

Card details:

Cardstock - Aqua Mist (Papertrey Ink), black, white

Stamps - Coffee with Friends (Flourishes), Mixed Messages (Papertrey Ink)

Accessories - border punch

Paper hoarding - a hard habit to break.

While working on my cards for today, I realized that I have a paper addition.  (shocking, I know!)  Not only do I hoard that lovely dsp that is so beautiful, I just can't cut it up (plus the patter on the back is awesome too!), but I hoard colors that have been discontinued as well.  So, I have to give myself a big, old pat on the back because I not only used some discontinued cardstock, but some of my precious dsp too!!  *faint*

Over at the Paper and Such Design Blog, they are holding another challenge.  This week it's a sketch challenge, go check it out!  The winner (drawn at random) will receive a $10 gift card to the Paper and Such store!!  

Here are my two entries.

AND

Card #1 details:

Cardstock - white, Chocolate Chip (SU), Baja Breeze (SU), Garden Green (SU), dsp

Stamps - Book A Flutter ( {ippity} }

Accessories - twine, button

Card #2 details:

Cardstock - Vintage Violet (SU), black, cream

Stamps - Because I Care (SU)

Accessories - copics, primas, Kaiserkraft pearls, ribbon, cb distressed diamond folder

Ok, now go dig through your cardstock and dsp and use it to make something amazing!  I DARE YOU!

Featured Stamper CASE on Splitcoaststampers

Yesterday, on Splitcoaststampers, fellow SCSer PaperInBloom was the Featured Stamper of the week.  You can check out her gallery HERE.  I chose her card Loving Life to CASE.  I used the same clean & simple layout, just changed up the image, border punch and accessories.

Card details:

Cardstock - Sahara Sand (SU), Certainly Celery (SU) and white

Stamps - Hugo (Whipper Snapper), Fillable Frames #2 (Papertrey Ink)

Accessories - ribbon, MS border punch, hardware

Sweet Sunday

It's another gorgeous day in South central PA!  I'm enjoying the sunshine by getting pics of cards while I have good light.  I decided to check out The Daily Dare blog and see what inspiration I could find there.  Of course I found several great challenge blogs, but chose The Sweetest Thing's Sunday Sketch Challenge to start with.  Here's my take on their sketch - what do you think?

Since I'm not good at coloring in all the little detail areas, I decided to leave the image as is.  Thanks to my friend Stacey Sheldon for the image!

Card details:

Cardstock - Summer Sunrise (PTI), Bravo Burgundy (SU), dsp from {ippity}

Stamps - Northwoods

Accessories - MS punch, ribbon

It's A Bright, Sunhiney Day!

After much lazing around this morning, and getting some of my weeding done, I decided I deserved a stamping break.  I received this image from my friend Stacey a while back and love the fact that I don't have to color it.  The sentiment is something that makes the card perfect for any occasion.

I also like that it's a nice manly card - you can never have too many of those! 

Now back to lazing in the sun with my Kindle - have a great weekend everyone!

Card details -

Stamps: Northwoods, Mixed Messages (PTI)

Paper: white, black, Cherry Cobbler (SU)

Accessories: Baker's Twine, border punch, nesties.

Gone to the dogs....

While I was having some quality time with my chocolate lab, Bristol, earlier - and getting sneezed on - I began to think about how he is like some of the kiddos at work.  For those of you who work with children and own dogs, I hope you can appreciate this......

Top Ten Reasons Why My Dog is Like a First Grader

10.  He doesn’t turn his head to sneeze.

9.  He follows me everywhere – no room is safe.

8.  He loves attention.

7.  He never needs to go to the bathroom until it’s an emergency.

6.  He knows how to get you to give in.

5.  I get “slimed” at least once per day.

4.  He’s so much cuter when he’s sleeping.

3.  I can usually tell when he’s guilty about something.

2.  Personal space means nothing

1.  No matter how old he gets, he always wants his mommy when he’s scared.

Now this all inspired my card for today.   Isn't he adorable!

Card details:
Stamps - Toby with Gift (Wild Rose), Delightful Dogs #1 (Inky Antics)
Cardstock - white, Creamy Carmel (SU), Max & Whiskers (Basic Grey)
Accessories - copics, bone paperclips

Feel free to share any other reasons why your dog might be like a first grader!

Bride Wars - Part 2

As promised, here's the other Thank You card set for an upcoming bridal shower gift. This bride is having a very monochromatic wedding, so I wanted to keep with that same theme. I don't know how well you can tell from the pic, but I used Candlelight Shimmerz to color the rose. I'm totally loving how this turned out! Hope she will too!

Card details:
Stamps - Fifth Avenue Floral (SU), Tag Lines (Gina K)
Ink - Versamark
Accessories - gold ep, pearls, Candlelight Shimmerz, Modern Label punch (SU)

Gina K Challenge

One of the current challenges over at Gina K's StampTV site is to make a card using two different DPs. This little guy is one of my newest purchases. Isn't he adorable!

Card details:
Cardstock: Certainly Celery (SU), dp, white
Stamps: Milton w/Daisy (Wild Rose), Mixed Messages (PTI)
Accessories: Nesties, Copics, ribbon

Don't forget to check back for "Bride Wars - Part 2"!

Bride Wars - Part 1

A few people I know are getting married this summer. I usually try to make a dozen or so Thank You cards as a small gift. You can NEVER have too many of those! This one is for a tropical wedding taking place at the end of the summer. I hope she likes them!

Card details:

Cardstock - Pacific Point (SU), white, black, brushed silver
Stamps - Fifth Avenue Floral, Warmest Regards
Accessories - copics, ribbon, ticket corner punch, silver pearls

Stay tuned for Part 2!!

Back at it again!

Ok, I know that it's been a year since I posted anything on here. Life is not any crazier than it usually is, I just kinda got away from this. But.....I'm back and going to do regular posts. Mainly because one of my besties just opened up her very own on-line papercrafting store!!! Go check it out! Paper and Such I went up to her house last night so that I could oogle over all the great items she has. This little guy caught my eye right away. His name is Fergus and he's my very first Wild Rose stamp - do they ever stamp nice! Paper and Such is one of only a few merchants in the USA to carry this line! They are selling out fast - so go get yours soon.

I made this card for the blog challenge at Paper and Such. They are giving away a $10 gift card to their store - just make a birthday card and get it posted.

Card details:
Stamp - Wild Rose - Fergus w/Cupcake
Cardstock - Gable Green (SU), Basic Grey Lemonade
Ink - Adirondak black, copics
Accessories - Rhinestones, Nesties, ribbon