10/31 Peace Love Joy

This is a flat card . . . no extra embellishments, no extra postage required. I try to remember that flat cards are fun to make, too. Less decisions for me and it seems like my clients love them. They also seem more "do-able" for the beginning stamper.

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I followed today's sketch challenge at SCS for this card. My base is River Rock and the two-toned paper over the top of my base is from the Holiday Harmony Designer Prints collection. I carried the swirls into my center panel by using a stamp set called Baroque Motifs . . . most definitely one of my all-time favorite stamp sets from Stampin'Up. Then, I noticed that the Peace Joy Love stamp from All Holidays had some lovely swirls on as well so I used that just because it all seemed to tie in. I bordered my center panel with Always Artichoke, but it seemed to fade away into the top part of the card as the colors were so similar . . . what to do, what to do and then a light bulb moment! I noticed that there were dots in the patterned paper so I decided to put dots on the Always Artichoke border. I grabbed my Gold Painty Pen and many dots later, I was happy to see that my idea worked. Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today. Here are the supplies I used:

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Stamps: Baroque Motifs, All Holidays

Ink: Always Artichoke

Paper: River Rock, Holiday Harmony DP, Always Artichoke

Accessories: Gold Painty Pen

10/30 Hedgie Fun

Here's my SCS Color Challenge card for the day. We were to use Real Red, So Saffron and Tempting Turquoise. I am not so sure about the So Saffron . . . but I guess its all right. What I do like about this card is the Hedgie building a Hedgie Snowman! Isn't that just one of the sweetest and cutest images ever? I can't help but love this set. It's called Holiday Hedgehogs. It's a set of nine stamps that debuted in 2001. It's long retired, but I'm still quite partial to its sweetness. This is the time of year I get it out and enjoy it.

Another thing I love about this card is that the image panel is really, really sparkly! After I stamped and colored my hedgies, I covered the whole panel with VersaMark ink and then embossed it with Iridescent Ice embossing powder. I did this a couple of times. My backgrounds are stamped with Snow Flurries and the sentiment is from a retired SU set called Merry.

Did you notice the FIVE brads? That was an accident. I meant to poke holes for three brads but then I just started poking and the next thing I knew . . . I had four holes poked! Oops! The only way to correct that little blunder was to poke another hole . . . heaven forbid an even number of brads as my accent - odd, however, is most acceptable.

My Supplies:

Stamps: Holiday Hedgehogs, Snow Flurries, Merry Paper: Real Red, So Saffron, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White Ink: Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Close to Cocoa, Basic Black Accessories: Foam Tape, Iridescent Ice EP, Gingham Ribbon, Brads, Heat Gun, Blender Pen, Orange Marker for the carrot nose, Corner Rounder

10/29 Autumn Prayers in Cracked Glass

One technique that I've always enjoyed is called Cracked Glass. I made a Cracked Glass card today because that was the Technique Lovers Challenge today at SCS. I also discovered that my So Many Sayings set punches out perfectly with the word window punch. How about that!!! I'm sure that it was made to work that way . . . but it took me a bit to figure that out! lol!

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Pound, pound, pound, pound. We are getting a new roof today to replace the one that was damaged by a hailstorm. It's such a beautiful day, though, I'm very glad it is getting done. Thanks for stopping by to check out my blog . . . and a special hi to the ladies I met on Saturday at the Centennial Band Boosters Craft event!

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Supplies I used to make this card:

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Stamps: So Many Sayings, Autumn Fest, Aida Cloth

Paper: River Rock, Brocade Designer Paper, Very Vanilla

Ink: Pumpkin Patch Spectrum, Old Olive, River Rock

Accessories: Word Window Punch, Gold Cording, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun, Sponge and my freezer!

10/26 Thrifty 25th!

I'm at that age where some of my friends are celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversaries. (I've got a ways to go thanks to my merry party ways back in the day!) But, when I came across these gorgeous foils at my local thrift store I snatched them up thinking surely I could make a card with them and today - ta da - I have!

The challenge at SCS today was Limited Supplies. We were limited to using only a number on the front of our cards. We could use any stamps, embellishments etc . . . but no sentiment - numbers only please. That got me to thinking about those silver foils and the rest is history.

I started by using Silver Encore ink on my Fine Lace Background. I stamped this onto Night of Navy cardstock and embossed with silver embossing powder. Then I ribboned it up and attached it to my Night of Navy card base. The foil circle is actually called mirror paper that I picked up ages and ages ago an art supply store. I used my CM cutting system to get the circles. I ran the 25th anniversary emblem through my Xyron machine to turn it into a sticker and popped it onto a circle of navy. That is popped up with foam tape. It looks really cool. I have enough foil emblems to make three more cards - which I surely will do!

My Supply List:

Stamps: Fine Lace Background Paper: Night of Navy, Mirror Paper Ink: Silver Encore Accessories: Ribbon, Silver Cording, 25th Anniversary Emblems, CM cutting system

10/25 City of David

My upline borrowed me the City of David stamp set. I shouldn't have even played around with it . . . because now I think I "need" it! lol! Well, what's one more stamp set, right??? Anyway . . . the Ways to Use It Challenge at SCS today was to incorporate masking in your card or object. This layout is going to work great for a Santa Stamp-a-Stack card. It goes together fairly quickly and no bulky embellishments, it will be easy to mail. Here are the supplies I used to make this card:

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Stamps: City of David

Paper: Confetti White, Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise

Ink: Brilliant Blue, Tempting Turquoise

Accessories: Tag Corner Punch, Stipple Brush

10/25 Within Us

My daughter used to be crazy over horses. She still is, but not quite like she was when she was eight! One year for her birthday, I gave her the SU set Equestrian Dream. It has long since retired from Stampin'Up, but this set will always find a home in my house. This free running trio of horses is my favorite image in the set. The sentiment is from Penny Black. I like to send "encouragement" cards and this sentiment can fit for so many situations.

The base of the card is made from paper in my stash that looks kind of like putty. I have no idea where it is from. The gorgeous mottled green and tan paper on the left of the card is wallpaper. I picked up a discontinued book of wallpaper for free and every once in a while I stick some of it onto my cards. The ric-rac is a thrift store find - four yards for 35 cents! Can't hardly beat that, eh?

Here are the supplies I used in my card:
Stamps: Equestrian Dream, sentiment from Penny Black
Paper: non Su card base, wallpaper, Confetti Cream
Ink: Always Artichoke
Accessories: ric-rac, foam tape, sponge, tag corner punch

10/24 Joseph's Coat Snowfall

I played with the Joseph's Coat Technique this morning and cut it into a panel that would work with the Sketch Challenge over at SCS. Winter is on the way. I know, because I've been clicking on the fireplace in the morning to heat up the living room and kitchen. I really don't mind winter and oddly enough, it is a season of color in my mind . . . if not naturally, at least artificially! I live in Minnesota and we have a whole closet of winter coats and they are in every bright and fresh color you can imagine. Purple and pink dominate with four of the five of us being girly girls. We also have quite a bit of blue . . . bright and dark. This card is in tribute to that bright and white season soon to be upon us.

The Joseph's coat is made by brayering or swiping various colors of ink onto glossy white cardstock. Then, I stamped the snowflakes in Versamark and embossed them in clear. Lastly, I used my brayer with Night of Navy ink. The snowflakes pop with all their gorgeousness from that dark background.

Supplies to make this card:

Stamps: Snowfall, Snow Flurries, Season by Season Paper: White Glossy, Confetti White, Tempting Turquoise, Pink Passion, Orchid Opulence Ink: Versamark, Orchid Opulence, Tempting Turquoise, Pink Passion, Night of Navy Reinkers to Make Background with Baby Wipes on Glossy: Brilliant Blue, Orchid Opulence, Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise Accessories: Brayer, Silver Cording, Silver Brads, Ticket Corner Punch, Sponges, Baby Wipes for Glossy Background, Foam Tape, Clear Embossing Powder, Heat Gun

10/23 First Oh So Lovely

This is my first card with my newest hostess set called "Oh, So Lovely." I went to SCS to see what the Color Challenge was because I had determined that no matter what the color challenge was, I would use this set. It turned out that one of the colors in the challenge was Purely Pomegranate . . . well that was a good fit with the snow berries stamp. (I really don't even know if there is such a thing as a "snow berry", but it is what I think of then when I see this stamp.)

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The color challenge was to use Purely Pomegranate, Soft Sky and Basic Gray. Of course, neutrals are allowed as well so I chose Confetti White and some white vellum. I had a lot of fun with this card because I used my ticket corner punch all over the place and I raised up the main image with foam tape three times. The vellum is supposed to mimic snow drifts. I'm not sure if that is really happening here, but it goes with the whole snow berry theme that was going on in my head at the time.

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Here are the supplies I used to make this card. Thanks so much for stopping by!

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Stamps: Oh, So Lovely; Garden Silhouettes for the sentiment

Ink: Basic Gray, Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi

Paper: Basic Gray, Soft Sky, Purely Pomegranate, Confetti White, White Vellum

Accessories: Ticket Corner Punch, Foam Tape

10/17 It's a SU Snowfall!

I am playing with a brand new stamp set today! I made a couple of cards as I wait for my hubby to arrive home from Italy. He is still at the airport . . . delayed because luggage was lost - not his, but one of his co-workers. I guess they are filling out paper work right now. So, maybe in an hour or two he will be here. We have his favorites waiting . . . Potato Soup (his family's famous recipe that has been passed down for generations) and Lemon Meringue Pie.
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This card uses scraps. I had just a little square of shiny blue paper and believe it or not, my camera actually picked up this detail!! I managed to frame my snowflake and get a Snow Blossom punch out of it. I was quite reluctant to purchase this set because I was such a fan of Snowflakes, a recently retired SU set. But, now that I am a demo . . . I have to keep up with the times and I didn't own a single current snowflake set! So I studied my catty and finally decided on Snowfall. I am so glad I did because it works absolutely BEAUTIFULLY with the new Snow Blossom punch. (Which I also wasn't so sure I would like until I started using it and now I LOVE it!!!!) I paid special attention to the center of the snowflake. I used a snowflake brad in the center of my punch and I popped it all up on foam tape.
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The other paper that I used in my layering is from a retired SU designer paper called Tickles. I loved the loose little wiggly white lines. It seemed to go well with how I wanted this card to "feel." (It's not always about how a card looks . . . sometimes it's about how a card "feels!")
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Card Ingredients:
Stamps: Snowfall Ink: Brilliant Blue, White Craft Paper: Brilliant Blue base, Tickles Designer Paper, Shiny Blue Paper, non SU designer paper Accessories: Snow Blossom Punch, Snowflake Brad, non SU white satin ribbon, Ticket Corner Punch

Then, I decided to make another Snowfall card using all current SU products. I love the way this card turned out . . . it has a quilted look to it, don't you think? I used a positioner to line up the snowflakes perfectly. I stayed with the In Colors so I didn't even have to think about what colors would and would not work as the In Colors all coordinate together perfectly! Had I had Purely Pomegranate Double Stitched Ribbon, I might have tried that in place of the Soft Sky ribbon. But, I do like the look of the Soft Sky . . . a bit more subtle.

The card ingredients are as follows:

Stamps: Snowfall, All Holidays Paper: Blue Bayou, Purely Pomegranate, Whisper White, Soft Sky Designer Paper Ink: Purely Pomegranate, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky Accessories: Foam Tape, Positioner, Soft Sky Double Stitched Ribbon, Tag Corner Punch

10/16 Sidekick Set

What to make that's pink for the month of October? Pink was the color challenge today at SCS. And, we were to make a card and something that wasn't a card. Well, I hadn't used my latest hostess set yet, Sidekick Sayings, so I pulled it out to see what I could do with it.

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I made my card first. I decided to make the base of my card Gable Green. I needed something to set off the pink - to make it look even pinker if you will! The Sidekick Saying is stamped on some Gypsy pink paper by Basic Grey. This is then layered onto more Gypsy paper that has a lovely flowery pattern on it. To really give this card some pink punch, I layered the again onto Pink Passion cardstock. I used a ticket corner punch on the corners (one of my very most favorite tools!) and I found some pink fiber that I thought looked kinda good with everything I had going on. The flower was colored in with an AquaPainter and reinker. I used Passion Pink and Green Galore inks to highlight the flower.

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Now, I had to figure out what to make that wasn't a card. I had some Post-It Notes laying around so I decided to make a Post-It Note Holder. This is the first time I've ever made a Post-It Note Holder, but I had gotten one in a swap a long, long time ago so I wasn't completely in the dark about how to make one. It's really just a matter of scoring it in the right places for a good fit. I did all the same type of layering as I did on the card, but when I stamped the Sidekick Saying, I masked out the lower half of the stamp so the Post-It Note Holder only reads: "Let us be grateful to people who us happpy." I'm actually quite pleased with how it came out. It was nice that the words formed a natural break so that I could take the theme from the card to the Post-It Note Holder with no trouble.

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Ingredients for Card and Post-It Note Holder

Stamps: Sidekick Sayings

Ink: Basic Black, Green Galore, Pink Passion

Paper: 6x6 paper pad from Basic Grey called "Gypsy", Gable Green, Pink Passion

Accessories: Pink Fibers, Foam Tape, Ticket Corner Punch, Post-It Notes

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Thank you so much for stopping my blog. I just LOVE Stamping to Share!!

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My stint as a single mom for the last ten days is drawing to a close. My dear, sweet hubby comes home from Italy tomorrow. We are all so excited to see him again. My heart goes out to all the wives whose hubbies are away for military reasons for much, much longer than 10 days. That is quite a burden to bear alone. (((((Hugs to YOU)))))

10/16 Feather Card

This card is the result of a challenge that Sharon Johnson issued from her blog called No Time to Stamp? The challenge was to use one simple image with one gorgeous ribbon. I know that it looks like I used several images in this card, but I really didn't. My Soft as a Feather set (from Stampin'Up, but now retired) is unmounted. So, I took all the feathers, put them on one acrylic block and used it like a large background stamp. OK . . . so this might not really count . . . but when have I ever been good at following directions? lol!

Here are the card ingredients:

Stamps: Soft as a Feather

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Paper: All sorts of scraps - none of which is from SU

Accessories: That wonderful, luscious 5/8" grosgrain from Stampin'Up in Chocolate Chip

10/14 Sympathy

Isn't this card beautiful? Yes, I'm patting myself on the back and then THUNK . . . what am I thinking? No way can I take credit for this card!!! It is another CASE of our Featured Stamper at SCS! This is the card that StamperTammy made, and all I did was take her idea and put my own twist on it!

Here are the ingredients you would need to make this card:

Stamps: Flowers by Endless Creations, Sentiment by Anna Griffin from All Night Media Ink: StazOn Black, Pumpkin Patch Spectrum Pad from Stampin'Up Paper: Pumpkin Pie, Basic Black and Glossy White from Stampin'Up, Patterned Paper - unknown, but it looks like something from K & Company Accessories: Ribbon, Foam Tape and Stylized Flowers, a Cuttlebug background embossing folder.

10/14 FS36 Happy Day

It's always a Happy Day when I can "case a card with a twist!" I love how all the thinking has been done for me and all I have to do is put a twist or two onto the card and ta da . . . it's done! The Featured Stamper at SCS is stampertammy. She has quite an extensive gallery so browsing it was a lot of fun. I found a beautiful Noble Deer card that really tugged at my heart strings. I was tempted to case it exactly, but that would not be making it my own . . . so I took that wonderful design and twisted, tweaked and created a cute Happy Day card that I can call my own. I kept true to the design, but shrunk it so that it would fit onto an A2 sized card. I used a few more brads and totally changed up the colors and the stamp sets. It's hard to see in the photo, but I used quite a bit of foam tape to raise my layers. Here are the card ingredients:

Stamps: Polka Dots and Paisley, Silly Sealife Ink: StazOn Black, Blue Bayou, Sage Shadow, Cameo Coral Paper: Basic Gray, Sage Shadow, Blue Bayou, Soft Sky, Cameo Coral Accessories: Silver Brads, Ticket Corner Punch, Foam Tape, Aqua Painter

10/13 Sun & Moon in the Sea

Today's challenge at SCS is to create a card based on an inspiration piece. The picture above was our inspiration piece and the card below is what I made based on that idea. I love challenges like this because it really makes me think outside the box. I didn't have a sun stamp, but I did have a star fish and the sun is a star, right? I thought the sea horse would make a nice moon and that's how this card got its start. I used lots of circle in this card based on the shape of the inspiration piece and because bubbles are round.

Card Ingredients:

Stamps: Fishy Friends from SU (retired); letters from Hero Arts Ink: StazOn Black Paper: Summer Sun, Brilliant Blue, Glorious Green, Whisper White, Watercolor Paper Accessories: Cuttlebug Bubble Background, 1/2" punch from SU, Ticket Corner Punch from SU, Circle Cutter from CM, Aqua Painter, Markers, Ribbon and Glue Dots to adhere the punched letters.

My daughter, Kari, is doing a Science Fair project about bubbles and she wrote to a professor at the University of Nebraska about her project. This professor has done extensive research on the science of bubbles. Well, much to our surprise, he wrote back and enclosed a 17 page article about bubbles for additional research and two DVD's about Bubble Science! This will be our thank you card to him for all of his time and help. I know her project is going to turn out just great thanks to all of his help! How nice of him to take the time to help a 12 year old girl in MN with her science project!

10/8 Thanksgiving 2007

This card will be the Thanksgiving card I mail to the families I won't be seeing at Thanksgiving. I just LOVE the way the "wind" is blowing the leaf along. The wind comes from the SU background called French Flair. It was also a popular card at my World Card Making Day festivities. Here are the ingredients that you would need to make this card. All supplies are from Stampin'Up.

Supplies for this card:

Stamps: Autumn Fest, French Flair, Holidays & Wishes

Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pumpkin Patch Spectrum

Paper: Ruby Red, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, Very Vanilla

Accessories: Hemp, Foam Tape, Scissors, Sponge

10/04 Booglie Cards!

I love this "All Wrapped Up in Halloween" card that I made with my new Booglie set. I used a white gel pen to color the gauze strips on my stamped image. I also used my cheesecloth background stamp to give enhance the gauze-like look. I found some spooky music background paper, too. Perfect for the piano teacher . . . and that is just where is card is going to go! The white ribbon is cut off of a blouse that I recently purchased. You are supposed to use these straps for hanging it up, but I find them always in my way and I just cut them off. I used to throw them away until my friend, Susan, mentioned on one of her uploads at SCS that she saves these ribbon straps and uses them on her cards! Alright then, now I do, too!!

This is a well-fed bat!!! Now that is spooky!!! The red lips and dripping blood seemed the perfect way to accent this card. The Happy Halloween ribbon that I used on this card and on the card above came from Michael's a couple of years ago. (I knew I'd get around to using it eventually! lol!) The candy corn paper is just an oddball piece that I had in my scrap pile.

This is one of the cards that my customers will make at my World Card Making Day event. I used the Creepy Crawly designer paper from Stampin'Up. It makes a perfect frame for my Booglie Eyed spider. I'm not a big fan of spiders. In fact, this might be the first spider card that I have ever made! The sentiment is from All Holidays. On the inside it says Boo to You, part of the sentiment that comes with the Booglie Eyes set.

Thanks for checking out my blog!