My Muse

Together Forever

It is time to wish my parents "Happy Anniversary" again on July 4th. I first saw Jo's card via Nancy Riley's "iPicks" For Week 30 - and immediately loved it. I've made a couple of different versions of this card - and changed this one up quite a bit. I wanted to use the Loonie Stamper's color combination from a couple of weeks ago - as it made me think of weddings (something borrowed, something blue - I suppose).

I blended in some blue dye ink with my Dove Blender to shade the image (trick learned from Kristina Werner.

Colors & Supplies

Stamps:  Together Forever (SU!) & Fancy Flourishes (PaperTrey)

Ink:  Basic Gray & Bashful Blue (SU!)

Cardstock:  Vintage Cream & Smokey Shadow (PaperTrey)

Other:  Rectangle Nestabilities, Spring Rain grosgrain ribbon (PaperTrey), pearls, Dove blender

This version may be a bit too plain - what do you think? At any rate, thanks so much for stopping by.

Wish Big

Short post today. I was in the process of making this card for my nephew for Kristina's Color Inspiration Challenge #55 - but didn't have the time to meet the deadline. I really loved this color combination - and thought I would go ahead and show it, even though it's late. The layout was inspired by Mojo Monday sketch #92. It's hard to see in the photo, but I outlined the star in the sentiment square with a glitter pen to brighten it up.

Colors & Layout

 

Supplies

Stamps:  Star Prints and Background Basics Retro (PaperTrey Ink)

Ink:  More Mustard & Really Rust (SU!), Charcoal (Palette)

Cardstock:  Smokey Shadow & Vintage Cream (PaperTrey), Really Rust (SU!)

Patterned Paper:  Bitty Box Basics (PaperTrey)

Other:  Vintage Cream grosgrain ribbon (PaperTrey), button (Foofala), star brad (Making Memories), Sakura glitter pen

Take Time for Tea

FINALLY - I was able to participate in another color challenge! I've really missed being able to participate - but with some BIG landscaping activities of late, when I've had time, I haven't had the energy... :)

When I saw Dawn's colors, I immediately thought of some of my favorite Anna Griffin patterned paper. The four-square layout of this card by LeAnne Pugliese gave me the second piece of my inspiration. The third came with the intended use of the card. My dear friend, Darlene, just visited me from Ohio and took me out for tea for my birthday. Afternoon tea is one of our favorite activities - and we had such a wonderful, relaxing time. I wanted to thank her for the visit and the tea  and this seemed like a perfect opportunity.

Colors and Supplies:

Stamps:  Tea for Two & Simple Little Things (PaperTrey Ink)

Ink:  Dark Chocolate & Berry Sorbet (PaperTrey Ink)

Cardstock:  Vintage Cream, Dark Chocolate & Melon Berry (PaperTrey Ink)

Patterned Paper:  Anna Griffin

Other:  Melon Berry Satin Ribbon (PaperTrey Ink), Flame Dew Drops (Robin's Nest), Square Nestabilities, foam layering tape (3M)

Hope you can take a few minutes for a cup of tea today - and thanks so much for looking!

In Dad We Trust

I saw this stamp the other day in the $1.00 bin at A. C. Moore - and couldn't resist. It fits our family to a tee - how about you? My dad can fix anything (well just about) - and so the screws represent how he can patch up all manner of broken things. I can always count on you, Dad, to make things right!

Ever since I saw this CPS Sketch weeks ago, I have had these papers  laying on my table  just waiting to make this card. It just never seemed to bubble to the top of my list. (Perhaps it was waiting for the "punch line" stamp, eh?). An accomplished procrastinator, I seem to work better with a deadline. With Father's Day fast approaching, it was a must-do today! Here's my card.

Supplies

Stamps:  Studio G

Ink:  Charcoal (Palette)

Cardstock:  Stamper's Select White, Smokey Shadow & Lemon Tart (PaperTrey Ink), smokey blue (unknown), note: I printed the grid pattern on the white cardstock with my computer

Patterned Paper:  Haberdasher (Tinkering Ink)

Other:  Road Trip Alphabet (Sticker Studio), screw eyelets (Making Memories), tag (Staples), corner rounder, circle Nestabilities

Thanks for looking!

True Friends

I'm a day late for this Dawn McVey Color Challenge - but that's ok. I thought I would share my card anyway. You know, I didn't set out to make this particular card - didn't really have a particular meaning in mind, quite frankly. But after I finished, I realized that this was the "going away" card for my dear friends who are returning to the UK in August. And when I realized that it was the card I would be giving them all too soon, I cried. My friends moved into our area just a few weeks before we did nearly three years ago. Our families have become very close - and soon, they will be gone. Gone from the bus stop...and the neighborhood events...and afternoon teas...and lunches...but not from our hearts.

Colors &  Supplies:

Stamps:  DesignBlock Flourish (Hero Arts), True Friends (Stampabilities)

Ink:  Raspberry Fizz (PaperTrey Ink), Chocolate Chip (SU!)

Cardstock:  Raspberry Fizz, Dark Chocolate, Kraft & Vintage Cream (PaperTrey Ink)

Other:  pearls (Joy! Crafts), sequin flowers (Hero Arts)

I'm thankful to have friends that are so heart-breaking to send off. Wishing you many of the same.

Simply Coffee

This is my second card inspired by Natasha's Clean&Simple Fall-to Layout #41 (my first card is here). This is one of my favorite sketches! I changed it ever so slightly, but it is still essentially her design. Keeping with the coffee theme, I ran a piece of Kraft cardstock through my paper crimper and made a sleeve for my card. It makes a band that goes all the way around the front flap of the card. I didn't attach it - so it can slide off, completing the coffee cup "statement". Since I still don't have any Copic markers, I used a technique I've seen Kristina Werner use in several of her videos with dye ink and a Dove blender to shade the inside of the rectangular border around the cups.

I stamped the red cup, cut it out, coated it in Versamark, and then covered it with Glassy Glaze enamel to give it a shine.

Supplies

Stamps:  Three Coffee Cups (A Muse Artstamps), Tiny Wise Words (Wordsworth)

Ink:  Chocolate Chip (SU!), Red (Technique Tuesday Hybrid), Tempting Turquoise (SU!)

Cardstock:  Dark Chocolate, Stamper's Select White & Kraft (PaperTrey)

Other:  Dove Blender, ribbon (May Arts), Dark Chocolate Vintage button (PaperTrey), paper crimper (Fiskars), Glassy Glaze Enamel (SU!), SU! Dimensionals

Thanks for looking. Happy brews!

Welcome Flower

I wanted to play along with the first ever Moxie Fab World Color Challenge. As much as I LOVE these colors (especially yellow), I have to say this color combination was a lot harder than I thought it would be! I guess that is part and parcel of the "challenge" part, though...

To help my card along, I used the Mojo Monday Sketch #88 from a few weeks ago. For someone like me, it is great to restrict my options - as in color scheme or layout - to help me settle on a design. Otherwise, a "possibilities person" like me will spin round and round thinking of the entire universe of potential combinations! Trust me - I know this from experience... ha!

So, here's how it all turned out:

Supplies

Stamps:  Watercolor Coneflower (Paper Inspirations), Bitty Baby Blessings (PaperTrey Ink)

Ink:  Yellow Cadmium (Colorbox Chalk), Black (Memories)

Cardstock:  Whisper White & Old Olive (SU!), Lemon Tart (PaperTrey Ink), Sunbeam (Bazzill)

Patterned Paper:  Anna Griffin

Other:  Lemon Tart grosgrain ribbon (PaperTrey Ink), Flame Dew Drops (Robin's Nest), Circle Nestabilities, Dimensional tape (3M)

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Seize the Cupcake

And yet another color challenge coming your way... This time, it's Dawn McVey's Raspberry Suite #7 - such rich, vibrant colors! And, you know, Dawn, that is the very color of my peonies that are blooming at this very moment. Unfortunately, the rain yesterday made mine look a little less spry than those in your photo!

I have been wanting to make my sister's birthday card with this cute Hero Arts sentiment. Given these bright colors, this seemed like as good a time as any. Click on the image to see more of the details.

Light green sparkly icing on cupcakes, you say... Sure - why not?!

Supplies

Stamps:  Everyday Classics (PaperTrey), Seize the Cupcake (Hero Arts)

Ink:  Raspberry Fizz, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado (PaperTrey)

Cardstock:  Raspberry Fizz, Spring Moss, Ripe Avocado & Stamper's Select White(PaperTrey)

Other:  Jewel brad (Making Memories), Gelly Roll Glitter Pen (Sakura), Raspberry Fizz & Ripe Avocado satin ribbon (PaperTrey), Swiss Dots Embossing Folder (Cuttlebug), Circle & Square Nestabilities, super fine glitter, heat-n-stick embossing powder, Stampin' Dimensionals (SU!)

Thanks for looking!

My Super Star

It's time for another Kristina Werner Color Inspiration Challenge! Maybe it was the masculine colors of this fun challenge, or the so-sweet photo of Anthonette's son, or all the focus on stars lately...Truth be told, it was probably all these things combined that inspired me to make a card for my 13 year old son to tell him that he is my super star.

 

Supplies

Stamps:  Supah Star (Cornish Heritage Farms Kim Hughes Collection), Simple Alphabet (PaperTrey)

Ink:  Black (Memories), Moulin Rouge (Palette)

Cardstock:  Pure Poppy & Stamper's Select White (PaperTrey), Summer Sun & Pacific Point (SU!)

Patterned Paper: black/white polka dot (Chatterbox), script (7Gypsies)

Other:  Circle Nestabilities, chipboard heart & brad (Making Memories), ribbon (Michael's), transparent star die-cut (Fancy Pants) tinted with Sunbright Yellow alcohol ink (Pinata), and lots of mini glue dots

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Loonie's Rock!

I was inspired by the latest Loonie Stamper's Challenge - which is all about stars - to finally make a "You Rock" card for my guitar-playing, teenage son. Kim Hughes' set, Supah Star, has been on my want-to-play-with list for some time now and combined with this cute Colorbok "You Rock" sticker in my stash, I thought I had a fun combination to play along with the challenge. My layout was inspired by this great clean&simple sketch (here).

I stamped the guitar from Kim's set with Summer Sunrise ink on some BasicGrey "Recess" paper. The fun metal "string" is silver coil by Boxer which you can stretch into all kinds of fun, splashy accents. For added dimension, I placed the sticker on cardstock and then trimmed it out so I could pop it up with dimensional tape.

Supplies

Stamps:  Supah Star (Cornish Heritage Farms Kim Hughes Collection)

Ink:  Summer Sunrise (PaperTrey)

Cardstock:  Pacific (SU!), Stamper's Select White (PaperTrey)

Patterned Paper:  Recess (BasicGrey)

Other:  Sticker (ColorBok), Silver Coil (Boxer), paper crimper (Fiskars), dimensional tape (3M)

P.S. These Loonie  Stamper's are just the nicest bunch of talented ladies - and I have so enjoyed following their work, and playing along when I can. Thanks for stopping by!