Triple Hope

Whew!  Been trying so hard to finish up these challenges.  After these three, I have ONE more to go and I will have made them all!   I feel like that's a pretty awesome accomplishment and I'll be proud of myself if I make it.   This card is for Donna's challenge:  My challenge is called Cork, Canvas or Clay. The rules are easy - just make a card or project using Cork, Canvas or Clay (or anything similar like burlap).   I struggled this this one for a bit, but I used some leftovers on my desk and came up with this.  Hopefully someone will like it.  It was hard to come up with colors that worked with burlap.  :)

Stamps:  Watercolor Trio (retired), Best Yet (retired)

Ink:  Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake

Paper:  Not Quite Navy, Baja Breeze, Very Vanilla, First Edition DSP

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Scallop Circles #2 die (retired), Woodgrain embossing folder, 3-inch circle die, burlap

This is a cute little tea holder that I made for Patty's challenge:  

• Make a treat holder of some kind, include a packaged treat to brighten someone's day
• Use Pink, Black, White, & Silver
• Glam it up

Stamps:  Like it a Latte (retired)
Ink:  Melon Mambo, Basic Black
Paper:  Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Neutrals DSP stack, Silver Glimmer paper
Tools/Accessories:  Simply Scored, Small Heart punch, Basic Rhinestones, Black Gingham ribbon (retired)

Finally, this is for Lydia's challenge:  For this challenge use any outdoorsy inspiration.  I am not a big outdoors person, but I love fall.   I created some lovely leaves using my favorite colors from this season.  

Stamps:  Gently Falling, Something to Celebrate (retired), Woodgrain
Ink:  More Mustard, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso
Paper: Early Espresso, More Mustard, Naturals White, Early Espresso Coredinations, Autumn Spice DSP (retired)
Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Woodgrain embossing folder, sanding block, color spritzer

She's not convinced that this toy is fun.  :)  As a side note, if anyone knows where the switch is to turn babies back to daylight savings time, I would love to know.  We were up a wee bit early today.   I think that change along with her four month shots tomorrow might make for a long week.   I have two events this week and haven't started prepping yet, so I am going to be one stressed out momma!  

More Dirty Cards

I'm still trying to play along with the Dare to Get Dirty challenges over on Splitcoaststampers.   There are some really fun ones, so if you have a Fan Club membership be sure to check them out!   

This was my first card of the morning and I think it would rock if I'd had one more cup of coffee before I started it.  I wish I'd moved that top flower up just a bit so that they didn't overlap so much.  Oh well...it's still pretty and I'm sure my grandma will appreciate it anyway.  :)

Stamps:  Reason to Smile, Watercolor Trio
Ink:  Baja Breeze, Not Quite Navy, Crumb Cake (marker), Versamark
Paper:  Crumb Cake
Tools/Accessories:  White Embossing Powder, Heat Tool, ruler, sponges

Isn't this berry sweet?   Ha!   I just got the pennant die and I love that fun circle shape.   I have a wonderful friend in mind for this one and I hope she likes it.  She's sweet indeed!   This uses that awesome sketch from Try Stampin' on Tuesday again too!

Stamps:  Tart & Tangy, Fabulous Phrases

Ink:  Real Red, Old Olive

Paper:  Real Red, Old Olive, Brights DSP stack, misc Old Olive paper, Whisper White

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Perfect Pennant Die, Finishing Touches edgelits, Circles #2 cie, Jewelry Tag punch, Old Olive 1/4 Grosgrain ribbon

This is a cute card that I created while playing around with the new Holiday Framelits.  I wanted to see if I could use them without the stamp set.  It turned out okay I think, but it's not really what I think of as a "me card."

Stamps:  Teeny Tiny Wishes

Ink:  Real Red

Paper:  Real Red, Bashful Blue, Whisper White, assorted green cardstock

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Tasteful Trim die, Holiday Framelits, Fancy Fan embossing folder, Framed Tulips embossing folder, Petals a Plenty embossing folder, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Basic Pearls

It's so tough being a baby.   :) 

Celebrating Grandmothers

I'm so thrilled to have had time to participate in this blog hop for my sweet friend Linda!    I am so excited for her and her grandbaby-to-be.   I met Linda almost a year ago at the Stampin' Up! Convention in Utah and I feel like we've been buddies ever since.   Being on the Freshly Made Sketches design team together has been awesome and I hope we both survive these new babies to stamp together again this fall.  :)

The inspiration for our hop is the beautiful quote above along with our relationship with our own grandmother.   I admit that this was a difficult card for me to make.  My paternal grandmother passed away on my birthday last year and being pregnant and sick, I was not able to travel home to say goodbye.    She was truly an amazing woman who was more like a second mom to me and I hope this card honors both her memory and celebrates my happiness for Linda.    

There's so much inspiration from my grandmother (or Mamaw as we called her) in this card.   She passed on her love of quilts to me, so I chose to make a Top-Note quilt card.   One of my cherished possessions is a handmade quilt that she and my Papaw were given for their 50th wedding anniversary.   I am thankful that she gave it to me while I was still able to say thank you.    Another element is the flower stamp; growing up she always had a beautiful flower garden that we "helped" with each year.   She grew Marigolds and we would help her dry the flowers and save the seeds for next year's planting.   Finally, the button...    Mamaw always had this tin of buttons in her cabinet and as a child, they were my favorite thing to play with.   A few Christmases ago I was gifted a jar of buttons from that tin.   The button featured on here is one of them.  There's such a variety in my jar, so I hope to use them on special cards like this now and then.   

So that's my card and my inspiration.   I hope Linda will like this card...and I hope I can find time to put it in the mail!  She inspired a piece on it, the "turkey platter".   One of her posts called the embossed oval a turkey platter and it makes me laugh each time I use it!    I just had to put it on my card. :)    Congratulations, Linda!  I'm so excited for you and your family.   

Be sure to hop on over to the other blogs if you haven't been there already!   Also stop by Linda's blog and offer up some congratulations and any grandmotherly advice you might have to share!   

Lesley Croghan

Mary Fish

Cindy Hall

Anne Marie Hile

Jaydee

Nance Leedy

Jen Mitchell

Tui Nathan

LeAnne Pugliese

Ann Schach

Jennifer Timko

Rita Wright (you are here!)

FM40: Happy Birthday!

So here is the "Mashup" Challenge :

1. Make a "Birthday" project.
2. Or Make a project using "Pastels".
3. Or "Mash it Up" and create a "Birthday project using Pastels" .

Time for a fresh opportunity to mash it up with The Friday Mashup!    A great way to start off the new year is to get that supply of birthday cards restocked, so this one is a great one to play along with!  We have two new guest designers and some great samples from all to get you inspired!

I used the sketch from this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch for the layout of my card this week.   I thought it worked well to showcase all those lovely designer papers that I just can't use enough!  I can't wait for Sale-a-bration to begin so that you can get some of it as well!  I hope you'll join us this week and create a birthday card!   If you are more skilled than I am, perhaps you can even mash it up and use your pastels!

Stamps:  Fresh Vintage (SAB), Watercolor Trio (retired)

Ink:  Poppy Parade, Lucky Limeade, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede

Paper:  Poppy Parade, Pool Party, Lucky Limeade, Very Vanilla, Everyday Enchantment (SAB)

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Scallop Circles #2 die, 3 inch circle die, sponges, Pool Party ruffled ribbon, color spritzer, basic pearls

Challenge: Recycle!

This challenge was most definitely a CHALLENGE for me! The Paper Players challenge was to use something recycled on our card. I love the idea, so I looked around for items I could use and tried to go from there. Here is a link to the challenge: http://thepaperplayers.blogspot.com/2011/04/challenge-41-recycling.html

Here are the recycled elements:
1. butterfly: a scrap of designer paper was glued to a cereal box and then cut out with the Big Shot. The dimensionals behind the butterfly are the edges of the sheet that I cut up and used.
2. The image behind the butterfly is one I had previously stamped and ended up not using after all.
3. The ribbon was something that a customer at work was going to throw away. My co-workers were kind enough to save it to me because they knew I could use it on a card.
4. Finally, the layout is recycled from last year's Summer Mini catalog (page 16).

Stamps: Watercolor Trio (retired), All Holidays
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Blushing Bride, Pear Pizzazz
Paper: Pear Pizzazz, In Color Hostess stack, Whisper White
Accessories: recycled ribbon, Basic Pearls
Tools: Big Shot, Beautiful Butterflies die

Mojo Monday!

Challenges are a great way to get ideas and inspiration for your stamping projects.  This is my project for the Mojo Monday sketch challenge.    I received this stunning Woodland Walk designer paper on my last order and really wanted to use it on a project today.   Chocolate Chip and Wild Wasabi are both colors from the paper and the Color Coach showed me that they would pair well with Pretty In Pink.    What do you think?  

Remember, tomorrow is the last day to order Watercolor Trio.   It is by far my favorite stamp set, so if you don't have it, consider getting it before it is too late.  

Stamps:  Watercolor Trio

Paper:   Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip, Pretty in Pink, Woodland Walk DSP, Very Vanilla

Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Wild Wasabi, Chocolate Chip

Tools:  Scallop Circle Punch, 1 1/4 circle punch, 1 3//8 circle punch

Open House Tonight!

My display board for my Open House.   

My prizes to give away!   Two of them contain chocolate and the other some 3x3 cards.   I hope the winners will like them!  I also have one stamp set to give away as well.

My make-and-takes.  

Non-card project of the week

I decided to make a few things to give away as door prizes at my open house next week and started out by making this great 3x3 card box using a tutorial I found on Splitcoast Stampers.  Cute, huh?    :)  It would be a perfect as a teacher's gift, so contact me if you'd like to make one to give to your child's new teacher!

I have to say, I LOVE LOVE LOVE Watercolor Trio.  

3x3 cards are some of my new favorite projects.  I think they are adorable and are great to attach to gifts!

Watercolor Trio!

One of the cards for my first class, Birthday Extravaganza!  I loved  Dawn's card and wanted to try it.  Dusty Durango and Crushed Curry are now retired, so I decided to substitute Tangerine Tango and Daffodil Delight because I actually own them!  :)

I LOVE this stamp set.  It is so perfect for both beginners and experienced stampers.  I am so glad I went ahead and got it.  It will be one of my favorites for years to come!