Stampin' Up! Apothecary Art

Today I thought I'd share one of the cards we made at my event last Sunday.  I wanted everyone to have cards for their parents for Mother's and Father's Day, so we made those along with a teacher appreciation card.  This is the card for the moms.   I also had a birthday option because several of my ladies have lost their moms already.  :(

We used the retiring Apothecary Art set and colored it with stamp pads and blender pens.  They really enjoyed that.  I'll be sending my sample off to my mom who is for sure the best mother ever.  :)

Laila got to plant her own little pot of flowers yesterday.  We had some flower seeds and got her some dirt and a pot.  I hope they will grow!   She likes to dig in it and keeps wanting to water them, so we'll see.  lol

Butterflies and Bokeh

I think I promised to share our second club project with the butterfly dies today.   I had a small group this time, so we focused on learning the watercolor background and bokeh technique.   I hope they enjoyed it.    I was totally inspired to do this after seeing my friend Jen Timko's gorgeous background.  I just loved the colors and tried a version.  I used a bit different ones from her, but I think it produced the same vibe.  I over bokehed mine.  I think I was just having too much fun with my daubers and forgot to stop!  lol   My background is Crushed Curry, Crisp Cantaloupe, and Calypso Coral.   Splitcoast just did a tutorial on this if you are interested in trying it for yourself.  :)

I'll see you again tomorrow with a Freshly Made Sketches card!

Super Bowl Sunday!

Just getting in a quick post during the game!   We are a bit behind watching it because we had to get Laila to bed.   She's so sick today.  :(    I barely survived yesterday with her as she was so fussy and wouldn't nap at all. I love that Jason is home with us four days a week, but the three days he's gone can be rough sometimes.    I have so much respect for single moms now.  Anyway, this morning we got up and she is congested and her poor little nose has been running all day.   I feel so bad for her.   I'm pretty sure she's teething too!  Ugh.  

I did take a bit to work on some ideas for my stamp club that's on Friday and this card was one of my attempts.  I don't really like how it turned out, so I don't think we'll be making this one.   Back to the drawing board!   I always struggle to figure out what we are going to make!   If you'd like to try the technique on the  embossed layer, you can find it here.  I like how it turned out, but I just couldn't figure out what to do with it.  

No crawling yet, but she can roll and spin around to get exactly where she wants to go!  

Apothecary Mashup

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge:

1. Make a project with the colors "Pacific Point, Marina Mist, Gumball Green, and Lucky Limeade".
2. Or Make a project using "Rectangles".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a project with the "Color Combination and Rectangles".

Friday means a new challenge at The Friday Mashup!   I just love these challenges since they are always so different each week.   This week we have a color challenge paired with rectangles.  Fun, huh?   I'm not really sure that I truly mashed it up this week as my idea went straight to a particular stamp set and I couldn't get anything else to come to mind.  Maybe you can count the flag as a rectangle but that would be pushing it a bit.  :)

I had to pat myself on the back for actually using Apothecary Art.  I'm still scratching my head over that purchase. It's really not my style and I struggle to use it.   I think it looks okay here.  I colored in the flowers and leaves with the colors from the challenge and then used Pacific Point and Limeade on the rest of the card elements.   I think it turned out okay for using a set that I'm not normally comfortable with.  :)   

Stamps: Apothecary Art, Something to Celebrate

Ink:  Black Staz On, Marina Mist, Pacific Point, Lucky Limeade, Gumball Green

Paper:  Pacific Point, Whisper White, 2011-2013 In Color DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels collection framelits, Lacy Brocade embossing folder, blender pen, Basic Pearls

I bought Laila a new toy this week and she's not completely sure about it just yet.  :)   Wish me luck tonight as her dad and I are heading out for a date night.  She'll be in good hands with her aunt Crista, but I'm already a nervous wreck about leaving her even if it is just for dinner!   

FM46: Vintage Flowers

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

1. Make a project using the "Sketch".
2. Or Make a "Shabby Chic / Vintage" project.
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Shabby Chic/Vintage project using the Sketch".

The challenge at the Friday Mashup was quite a challenge for me.   While I love the look of shabby chic, I have no idea how to pull off that style.  I try my hand at it every now and then, but I'm just not a frilly kind of girl and struggle to make it work.   

As I was looking for an idea, I remembered the one stamp from Apothecary Art that I said I'd probably never use.  Flowers are vintage, right?   I also pulled out my stash of retired DSP and found one that I thought looked like wallpaper (which I always equate with vintage!).   I think it is from a pack called Porcelain Prints.  No idea what year that's from, but it is old (aka vintage!).   :)  It took me forever to color the image, but I think it turned out okay.   I stamped the sentiment crooked after all that work, so there's a nice cover-up layer...or two...on there.  

I hope you'll come play along with us this week!  Don't forget that we also have the Fan Favorite challenge going on as well.   You can submit your idea for a mashup challenge and maybe we'll be playing your challenge soon!

Stamp Club Valentine pt. 2

Did you miss me yesterday?  :o)   I took a bit of a day off from paper crafting and spent it with a good friend. We shopped for all the 'ingredients' for a diaper cake and managed to get the diaper part of it put together.   She was going to add the ribbon and little accessories later, so I don't have any pictures to share.  It was a fun adventure for sure!   We managed to mix in some football and snacks too!  

The project I'm sharing with you today is the second one we did at my stamp club on Friday night.   I wanted to do a cute little box to match the card we were making.  The Kraft Boxes were just perfect for that!   Everyone got to pick the pattern of designer paper they wanted and cut all their own layers.  We then used the new Apothecary Art stamps and matching Framelit dies to make a cute little label for the top.  Isn't it cute?  

Stamps:  Apothecary Art

Ink:  Real Red

Paper:  Real Red, Brights DSP stack, Whisper White

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels framelits dies, Basic Rhinestones, Whisper White 3/8 taffeta ribbon, Kraft Boxes

FM 37: Distressed Labels

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

1. Make a project featuring "Chipboard (Precut or Diecut )".
2. Or Make a project using "Distressing (w/ ink, scissors or the Cutter Tool Kit)".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Distressed Project featuring Chipboard"

For a distressed, vintage card, that picture sure is loud!   Yikes.   I hope you have your sunglasses handy.   I am accepting donations to the "Rita Needs a Photography Class" fund by the way.  :)   

This week at the Friday Mashup Heidi has a super fun challenge for everyone.    If you are like me and put your chipboard up for safekeeping and can't find it, you can just do a card using distressing.  If you are more organized and know where your chipboard is, you could mash it up and use chipboard and distressing.   Or just chipboard.  So many options, right?   I love these challenges!    

You are getting a lovely sneak peek at some upcoming products from the Occasions Mini and Sale-a-Bration.   I'll pause and give you time to gasp and maybe jump up and down a bit.   

All done?  So yeah, there's awesome new paper and some stamp sets that have matching Framelit dies!   This was my first time using them and well...  I LOVE THEM!   I think I got a bit carried away with my sponging and distressing; I guess I can always say I dropped it in a mud puddle or something.  :)   Distressing is a great way to get rid of those holiday frustrations, so I highly recommend it this week.  Tear, rip, sponge, tear...you get it, right?   :)   

I hope you'll find the time to come play along with us!

Stamps:  Apothecary Art (I always think of the Pottery Barn Apothecary Table episode of Friends)  :)

Ink:  Soft Suede, Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade

Paper:  Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Everyday Enchantment DSP (SAB), Whisper White

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Labels Framelit dies, Vintage Wallpaper embossing folder, brayer, cutter kit, sponges, basic pearls