colourQ #102

I'm a little behind on my challenges this week, but I wanted to try to squeeze in a few before the deadlines.   I found this color combination from colourQ an interesting one.   I wasn't sure what I wanted to with them, but I went in and pulled out card stock in all the colors and then glanced over my stamp sets for something that I thought would go with them.   I had wanted to make Kathy a birthday card using Friends Fur-ever, but with all the construction in the house this past week, I couldn't think enough to put anything together.   I know she likes the set and it isn't available in Australia, so I decided to make a friendship card for her today.   I need to get her cards in the mail before I end up with a whole box of them to send over!  :)    

What do you think?   I thought it was kind of cute.   I love those little dogs and they are adorable when you do paper piecing with them!   I'm not sure about my ribbon treatment, but I hope it looks okay.   :)

Stamps:  Friends Fur-ever

Ink:  Pear Pizzazz (I didn't have any Certainly Celery ink!), Temping Turquoise, Basic Gray, Poppy Parade

Paper:  Basic Gray, Poppy Parade, Whisper White, Tempting Turquoise, Neutrals DSP stack

Accessories/Tools:  1 1/4 Certainly Celery Grosgain ribbon, basic rhinestones, white baker's twine, Big Shot, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder

Random Pictures

It has been a long, chaotic week with almost no time to stamp.     We decided to have wood flooring put down in our living room and what a headache!   It took 3 days, lots of dust, headaches, and frustration, but they are finally down and we are slowing getting everything put back in order.   (So pardon the out-of-place treadmill and box in the picture).    The kitties are also having to adjust; they are having a time trying to run across it!

Tonight is my second stamp club of the month and I'm so excited!   This will be our first meeting and I know it is going to be GREAT!    I pulled out my new Sweet Pressed Cookie Stamps (available Oct 1st) and made some yummy shortbread cookies for one of our snacks.    Please don't judge the stamps by my cookies; I can bake the most delicious quick breads all day long, but I cannot get one single cookie to ever turn out!   Jason said he'd help me make another batch this weekend, so stay tuned for more pictures.    

I am all set up and ready to go tonight.    I still have a few hours left before people arrive, so I think a hot tea and some Project Runway are in order.  :)

I posted two of our projects already, but here's the last one.   I wanted to demonstrate the awesome new Simply Scored, so we'll be making this cute Halloween 2-4-6-8 box.   Isn't he adorable?!

Happy Birthday, Kathy!

I wanted to wish my dear friend and fellow demonstrator, Kathy, a very happy birthday!   I just hope I figured out the time difference correctly and am posting on the correct day.   :)    I wanted to do a fun, special card for her and I hope she likes it.   It will be late getting there of course because I'm way behind on life and the mail to Australia seems a bit slow from Texas.   

I used the sketch from this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch and the colors from CR84FN to put together this beauty.   It has a ton of layers and dimension and just a little bling.   

Happy Birthday, Kathy!  I hope you have a wonderful day!  Eat some cake for me!  

Stamps:  Simply Soft, Petite Pairs

Ink: Versamark, Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Basic Black

Paper:  Cheerful Treat hostess dsp, Melon Mambo, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Whisper White, Neutrals DSP stack

Tools/Accessories:  Neutrals glimmer brads, Basic Gray taffeta ribbon, black embossing powder, heat tool, scallop edge border punch, circle punch

FMS2: School Kids

Lesley prepared another awesome sketch for us this week at Freshly Made Sketches.   While the sketch is a square card, you can choose to either make one of those or do what I did and go with a traditional A2 card.   That's the fun part of sketch challenges; you can use them as a starting point and see where your card takes you.   :)  

School started back the week I was working on my card and it just so happened that Greeting Card Kids was in the order that I received that week.   Naturally I had to do a school inspired card!   I did go back and pull out a retired apple stamp because teachers need apples.  I can hear all you teachers groaning over that; I bet you have quite an amazing apple collection.  :o)    I decided to go all in with my school theme and try to make my background layer look like a chalkboard.   I don't think schools even have those though; it's all dry erase and smart boards now.   I guess the kids are lucky; the bad ones always had to go beat the chalk out of the erasers back in my day.   I can only imagine what that would do to my allergies...

I hope you enjoyed my card and I hope you'll join us this week at Freshly Made Sketches!   I can't wait to see what you create!

Stamps:  Greeting Card Kids, Apple Blossoms, A to Z
Ink:  Whisper White craft ink, Staz-On Black, Stampin' Write Markers: Baja Breeze, Cherry Cobbler, Blush Blossom, So Saffron, Crumb Cake
Paper:  Cherry Cobbler, Baja Breeze, Basic Black, Whisper White
Tools/Accessories:  Cherry Cobbler seam binding, Baja Breeze seam binding, circle punches

I actually made this card first, but I thought it was too dark.   Switching the Baja Breeze and the Cherry Cobbler really added a brighter, cheerier feel to it and I like that one much better.  Don't be discouraged if your first attempt at a card doesn't turn out; study it, figure out what you don't like about it, and change it for the next version!    Sometimes taking a picture and looking at it on the computer screen will inspire me to go back and add or change something as well.

Girls Night Out Club Card #2

I wanted to do this fun Halloween with my second group this month, but I forgot to save one of my samples from my previous group.   I made this new version today and changed up a few things.   I don't really like making the same card more than once.  :)   I think that's why swaps make me grumpy.   I hope the ladies in my group will enjoy making this one.   It's such a fun card and not too scary.   

Stamps:  Wicked Cool

Ink:  Tangerine Tango, Basic Black

Paper:  Tangerine Tango, Basic Black, Old Olive, Daffodil Delight, Whisper White

Tools/Accessories:  Big Shot, Little Leaves sizzlit, Spider Web embossing folder, oval punch, circle punches, Owl builder punch

Girls Night Out Club Card #1

This week I'll be starting up a new stamp club and I'm so excited about it!     I can't wait to have this fun group of ladies over for a night of stamping and snacking.  :)    This is the first card we'll be making.   My great friend Rebecca sent me a link to a card last night and asked about the technique used on it.   I was in my craft room, so I grabbed my supplies and went to work to figure it out.   It was fun to daub on the color and see how each leaf turned out.   It makes happy when my friends and customers ask questions; it lets me know they are using their supplies and enjoying some creative time.  

Stamps:  French Foliage
Ink:  Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, More Mustard
Paper:  First Edition designer paper, Cajun Craze, Early Espresso, More Mustard
Tools/Accessories:  Cutter Kit, sponge daubers, Big Shot, Square Lattice embossing folder, Early Espresso Baker's Twine

PP63: Colors by Nance

Nance and The Paper Players have a fun color challenge for everyone this week.  I feel honored to get to stamp in Jaydee's place this week. :)  Thank you ladies for including me in the fun!   These are some of my favorite colors, but I'm not sure I've used them all together before.   It was fun to pull them all out and see what came to mind.   I am in love with my new Fun Flowers die and I can't stop using it!   I want to put those flowers on everything.  :)   I thought they would be perfect for this challenge.   I didn't go clean and simple, but I was inspired by the sketch at Clean and Simple Stamping.

My other favorite thing lately is to use a mix of embossing folders on my cards.   I think the different textures add a lot of interest and keep your eye moving to take it all in.   I even added in some crimping this time.  Lesley inspired me to finally purchase one, so you'll be seeing more of it soon.

Stamps:  None (Can you believe that?!)
Ink:  None  (What?!)
Paper:  Basic Gray, Whisper White, Old Olive, Rich Razzleberry, Neutrals DSP stack
Accessories:  Brights buttons, White Baker's Twine
Tools:  Big Shot, Stripes embossing folder, Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder, Houndstooth embossing folder, Fun Flowers die, Crimper, Blossom Petals punch

HSSC83 CAS

The designers at Hand Stamped Sentiments challenged us to keep it simple this week and make a clean and simple card.    I don't know why we call it simple...   I think these type of cards are by far the hardest to design.   I never know at what point I cross the "simple" line and end up on the wrong side of the tracks.   Clean I can do with my eyes closed, but simple?    Much harder.    I'm not sure if this card is too simple, but I do like it.   Don't tell my Woodland Walk paper, but I think Spice Cake might be my new favorite designer paper.  It is so yummy!    I finally used my I-MUST-HAVE-THEM-OR-I-MIGHT-DIE tags die for this one.   We won't talk about how many times I've used them since I had to buy them.  :)  

Stamps:  Day of Gratitude

Ink:  Soft Suede, Pool Party

Paper:  Soft Suede, Pool Party, Spice Cake DSP, Very Vanilla

Accessories:  Linen Thread, Regals buttons

Tools:  Big Shot, Lots of Tags, oval punch

Bandit always seems to be the photogenic cat in the house, but here's one of his sister, Bella.   She's my shadow.  If I go, she goes.  If I am on the couch, she is on the couch.   I think I could pet her until her fur all fell out and she'd be perfectly happy to be bald because the petting was so good.