Hello, Doily

Hi stampers!  Have I ever mentioned that I like...I mean LOVE background stamps?  Well I DO and when I saw the Hello, Doily stamp in the new catalog I knew I had to have it.  Which, just like the set, is funny because I hate doilies.  I'm serious when I say that I may judo chop my mom if she tries to put any fugly old doilies in her new house when she gets it:-)  However, she COULD totally hang this card up in her house and I'd be ok with that.....

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Hello, doily, pursuit of happiness
Paper:  Whisper white, island indigo, pool party, calypso coral
Ink:  Island indigo and calypso coral markers, pool party, versamark
Accessories:  White EP, scallop circle and circle punch, basic pearls

OMG!  Isn't it purty?    Now, there is a bit of a funny story here about why I have two cards.  Normally I make two identical cards but when I was stamping the doily the other night I totally stamped it in the wrong spot from where I wanted it on one of them.  Oh well....it still works:-)  I think I like the one of the right better though.

I used the Colour Q color challenge from this week as a jumping off point and this card just kind of took on a mind of it's own.  I made a number of cards yesterday and THIS is my fave!  The sentiment is from Pursuit of Happiness and I love how it combines different fonts.  This one just begged to have the happy colored in calypso coral to make it stand out!  One more detail is that the circle of island indigo was heat embossed with white embossing powder.  I LOVE the contrast!

Anyway, I haven't done any stamping today yet but I did get my office and closet cleaned out!  We'll see what happens!  Happy stamping!

Missing mojo

Hi stampers!  Ever had a week or so when you just lose your mojo?  That's where I'm at now!  It's so frustrating.  I WANT to stamp but I just can't come up with anything, urhg!!!!  I saw the Colour Q challenge earlier this week and fell in LOVE with it, lookie:

Isn't it just FAB?  And I need that cookie jar, he is so cute!  So I've been thinking about this challenge ALL week and came up with a big fat nothing!  Normally, I can think of something pretty quick even if I can't sit down and work on it right away! Anyway, I finally did get something done today and I'm fairly happy with it BUT I really like this combo so I may keep playing with it a bit:-)  Or not...you probably all know I have stamp a-d-d and will probably flit on to something else soon, lol! 

I actually took not only the color cue from the challenge but I figured I'd dust off my poor neglected owl punch since I LOVED the owl in the picture up there!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Family reunion
Paper:  Whisper white, calypso coral, early espresso, pool party, island indigo, in color DSP stack
Ink:  Calypso coral, island indigo
Accessories:  Owl punch, in color polka dot brads, fan letterpress plate, scallop circle and circle punch, polka dot embossing folder

It is a pretty straight forward card.  I used a large panel of white since the other colors are pretty bold and I thought it needed it for better balance and contrast.  I also used the fan letterpress plate for the owl's chest.  I think it looks like feathers!  Note that I used it with regular paper AND dye ink NOT craft ink.  You can do that it just doesn't work as well or impress into the paper like craft ink and watercolor paper.  I had to do it that way since we don't have craft ink in our in colors.  I think he turned out cute!  It did take me a while to figure out what color combo to do his eyes so my desk is covered in little bitty bits of paper, hehe!  I also really went with a polka dot theme so I couldn't resist throwing an in color brad on there too!  Well, that's all I got!  I'm going to try to squeeze some more mojo out of somewhere for the rest of the afternoon!  Happy stamping!

TGIF & BFF's

Hi stampers!  I'm just full of acronyms today aren't I?  Well I am happy it's Friday although I've been on vacation for a few days so I kept thinking the past two days were Saturday, lol!  I got to hang out with one of my BFF's Wednesday and Thursday, my momma!  We had fun and I really miss spending time at our family farm where she grew up.  It's so pretty there and relaxing too being away from the rat race that is my life, hehe.  I wished I'd had more time to spend there with her this week.  She's currently waiting for her new manufactured home to be set on the basement and she can't wait...and neither can I!!!!!  Of course, it was supposed to be all done by now but you know how it goes when getting a new home....I did get to go see inside one half of it yesterday though...and with the heat index being around 115 it was a tad hot, hehe. 

It's so nice and I can't wait to stamp some nice home decor items for her! And if I'm MIA around here for a while soon it's probably because I'm slaving away helping to paint the house and get her moved:-)

Today we went to Bloomington where my other BFF lives but who wasn't there:-(  My hubby wanted to go eat there last Satruday night as well so I've been to her town TWICE in a week when she wasn't there!  It's so sad!!!!  I don't get to see her as often as I'd like either...so I guess I could send this card I made to both of my BFF's:-)

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Best friends forever
Paper:  Whisper white, melon mambo, wisteria wonder, basic gray
Ink:  Melon mambo, basic gray, wisteria wonder
Accessories:  Wisteria wonder ruffled ribbon, basic pearls

I have to say I didn't much care for this set in the catalog or when I found out it was a set we were getting at convention BUT as per usual SU and all the other talented stampers out there have helped to change my mind.   It still might not be a top pick for me but I do like it and have seen some super stuff done with it!  This is my first attempt playing around with it and I hope to work with it some more.  I really like the combo of wisteria wonder and basic gray together too.  Well, I've been lazing around all day...I guess I really should take a shower and get some stuff done....like stamping:-)

Easy events

Hi stampers!  I have a quick little post today as I'm still spending some time with my momma today and we are about to go do some shopping and get pedicures...and eat some yummy lunch of course!  Anyway my card today is made again with my mom in mind and is a cute little one I can send her when I miss her.  I really need to send more cards to her and other people!  It uses Easy Events which is a set that I got at convention.  I probably would not have ordered this set on my own but I have to say it's really cute and have seen some great cards with it!  I just love the little tree image, don't you?

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Easy Events
Paper:  watercolor, pear pizzazz, lucky limeade, subtles DSP
Ink:  staz on and various for watercoloring
Accessories:  Chocolate chip scalloped polka dot ribbon, frames embossing folders, tasteful trim die, dazzling details

Isn't it just cute?  And the images are all really fun to color!  I also love the polka dot scalloped ribbon and the frames embossing folders.  I used the tasteful trim die to make my "grass" and just popped one layer up on dimensionals to give it more depth.  It's hard to see but the little tiny heart on the tree has some of the upcoming dazzling details glitter glue on it too.  The main image was layered on top of one of the embossing frame folders that I cut out.  Happy stamping!

Christmas in July...again

Hi stampers!  Well it's like Christmas in July for me.  Want to know why?????  Well, I was picked to be on the design team called the Creative Crew on Splitcoast!  I'm so excited BUT I'm a bit scared and nervous too as I have some other fun things going on plus it's about to be my busy time at work!  Eek!  I'm also feeling the pressure to create GREAT things, lol!  Anyway, I'll be doing the challenges starting in September so keep an eye out for them if you're on SCS and if not then go sign up.  It's a truly great place with great artists and you can learn so much there!  I'll be sharing more fun news soon...

So what better way to celebrate than with a Christmas card right?  We all know I LOVE Christmas.  I came up with this card a week or so before convention.  I was trying to use ALL of the stamp sets I had ordered at least once before I left!  It was kind of a challenge since it's summer I tend to be into fun and bright colors.  I kind of had to switch gears for this one.  It uses a new set from the IBC called Merry & Type and I just loved it.  It reminds me of the pretty glass ornaments my grandma on my dad's side of the family had and those were the inspiration for this card.

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Merry & Type, Grateful Greetings
Paper:  Soft suede, cherry cobbler, always artichoke, very vanilla
Ink:  Soft suede, always artichoke
Accessories:  Crochet trim, neutrals glimmer brads, modern label punch, fan letterpress plate, fine glitter, smooch ink

I used the fine cosmo gold glitter for the top most ornament and I think it turned out really pretty!  I also love the sentiments in the set BUT I thing that the Christmas Greetings sentiment from grateful greetings worked too well with this set to pass up.  I LOVE how our sets are so versatile and combine so well with other sets.  I ALWAYS have something to "go" with my project.  My favorite little touch on this card is the top of the ornaments.  It's hard to see in the photo (you can click on it to make it bigger) but I used my smooch accent ink in the gold color to make it look like they are gold and sparkly!   I also used the new fan letter press plate for the background.  And finally, I tried my hand at those little bows with the brads in the middle.  Sadly, I broke a few of the brads before I got one that worked:-(  Oh well, they are still worth a try and I need to remember to do this little technique more often!  Let me know if you have questions on how to do them, I can always do a video for you!  I should also do a letterpress plate one too, huh?

Anyway I hope you like it!  Maybe it will bring some thoughts of cooler weather to mind which I could use again about now, it's gotten HOT again.  I was a bit (ok or a LOT) warm on my 4 mile run this morning!  I didn't go until 8 and I think I should have gotten up even earlier...but who wants to do that on vacation?  I took a few days off to go spend some quality time with my mom since she moved away!  I am sad I'll be away from my stamp studio (and my hubby, hehe) for a few days BUT we have the interwebz at the farm now (and that's a BIG deal, lol) so I hope to be able to share a few projects with you while I'm there!  Happy stamping!

Fall weather

Hi stampers!  Man, it's been HOT and humid here but today it got down to 70 some degrees!  I thought it was fall, lol!  Of course it rained and cooled off TODAY since we were planning to go to my husbands parents house and swim in their pool.  I guess we should have planned it weeks ago so we could have had some rain:-)  We still got to visit and made some hot dogs and ate way too much so I guess it was successful after all (not to mention that I got some extra stamping time in today too....and a nap!).  Too bad I think it's supposed to get hot hot hot again!

The cooler weather did remind me that fall is coming up quick (not sure if I'm happy about that though, summer's going way too fast) so I thought I'd show you a pretty fall card that I made a week or two ago.  I'm sort of in a summer/bright color mode so it was out of my zone to make this card but it turned out great.  I was inspired by a fellow Splitcoast stamper, Susie Nelson.  You can find her card in the SCS Creative Crew gallery.  So here is my take:

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Falling leaves, woodgrain
Paper:  whisper white, pool party
Ink:  Pool party, wisteria wonder, lucky limeade, peach parfait, island indigo
Accessories:  Circle punch, polka dot brads

Isn't it just FAB????  I love the way it turned out.  They aren't traditional fall colors but they still work.  Have I mentioned that I LOVE the new in colors?  Oh I have?  Ok:-)  I didn't have any of the DSP so I pulled out one of my fave background stamps, woodgrain.  It works great for fall cards.  I also sponged around the edges and then popped it up for a bit of depth.  I also used my favorite new accessory, the in color polka dot brads, they are so fun!  Anyway, I think it turned out really well and it is one of my favorite cards lately and I hope you enjoyed it too!  And I have some exciting news to share in the coming weeks so keep an eye out:-)  Happy stamping!

T is for free stamps...I mean THANKS!

Well...it's for both!  Hi stampers!  Know what's better than stamping?  What???  I know, you're thinking how can anything be better than stamping?????  How about stamping with FREE stamps!!!!!!  Heckya! 

That's exactly what I did with the card I'm going to show you today!  I love being an SU demo for many MANY reasons but a BIG one is FREE STAMPS!  Did you know that as a demo you can earn FREE stamps from the new catalog during sale-a-bration time?  Yep, you sure can and I earned any set I wanted at $31.95 or less so I chose Letter It!  Would YOU like to earn free stamps?  I mean who wouldn't right?  Well right now is a fabulous time to sign up as we have a great promo going on where you can get a mini-starter kit for the LOW price of $99.00!  It's a great value and a terrific investment.  Now, it's really a win-win situation because even if you don't decide to stay active you still got a great deal on fab stamping stuff.  AND if you decide to keep on keepin' on you can make some money or pay for your addiction...er...I mean your hobby;-)  For more details check out the promo page on the customer website.  And feel free to contact me if you'd like more info or have questions!

Ok, ok...on to the pretty stuff because that's why you're here right? :-)  Well here is the cute card I made with my free stamps!

Stampin' Supplies:
Stamps:  Letter It, Fabulous Phrases
Paper:  Whisper white, so saffron, rich razzleberry, subtles DSP stack
Accessories:  White taffeta ribbon, 2.5" circle punch, curly label punch, itty bitty punch pack, basic pearls

Isn't it just DARLING?  I loved the little jar of jelly bellys on the page in the catalog with this set and thought it would make a cute card.  I thought right if I do say so myself, lol!  It was super easy too!  Letter It and Fabulous Phrases were just made for each other!!!!  There are so many possibilities with this combination.  Try one out for yourself and let me see what you come up with!  Hey, it's like my own little challenge blog, hehe. 

Hope you like it and please don't hesitate to contact me if you'd like more info on the special price starter kit!  SU really is the best, you can't go wrong!  Happy stamping Saturday!