Blingtastic Hope

This is the last of the HYCCT cards I have made up.  I didn't get any made yesterday, so I'm falling way behind.  I really really REALLY hope I can catch up on Sunday!   This was for Donna's challenge to use glitter and rhinestones on your card.  I chose a simple sheet of the 8x8 paper I had for breast cancer awareness and trimmed it down.  I thought it was perfect to bling out!  No stamping required.  :)  

Laila does not want to let go of Buba (zebra) to eat, so he's getting a bit dirty.  I don't know if she's clinging to him because her teeth hurt or what, but everything requires his presence.

Stampin' Up! Wetlands and Owl Punch

I wanted to share a couple HYCCT cards that I made yesterday.   Jason and Laila had playtime, so I went to my room to try to get a bit of stamping in.  :)   This one is for Ardyth's challenge to make a card with no words on the front.   I wanted something serene, so I hope this works.  It was my first time getting a card made with the Wetlands set.   I colored a clear block with markers, sprayed it with water, and then stamped it on my paper.  I was inspired by Deena's card that I found on Pinterest.   It did have to dry for a while before I stamped the birds.   It's a fun look I think.   

Someone asked about the markers...  I'm not 100% sure as I had a ton of them on my desk, but I think going down in this order is close:  Soft Sky, Marina Mist, Soft Suede, Crumb Cake, Sahara Sand is close...   I tried a few times with different colors and different amounts of water, so you'll probably need to be prepared for some practice to get it how you want it.  

This card was for Tenia's challenge to make a Washi tape background.  I'm not sure mine qualifies as a background, but hopefully it counts.  Laila and I found this fun tape on our shopping trip last week so I just had to get it.  I knew it would come in handy for something!   I think this card would cheer up anyone.  :)

Laila had some of daddy's yummy mashed potatoes last night.  She hasn't been eating that well this week and I'm pretty sure it's the darn teeth again.  She also hasn't been napping much which is exhausting!   I have her by myself for four days a week now and that 30 minute break just doesn't seem like enough.   I can't get anything done.   Who needs a clean house or clean clothes, right?!  lol

Stampin' Up! Branch Out

It's Wednesday, which means a new sketch at Freshly Made Sketches!  Yay, right?!   Our sketch this week comes from the queen of layers, Narelle! I love the sketch; you can really layer it up as much as you like!  For mine I kept it more simple because I wanted my card to resemble a framed print.   Sort of anyway.   I did combine it with a HYCCT challenge from Patty:

In honor of October make a card featuring pink, green, & yellow with a touch of something shimmery or opal looking. You may use any shade of pink, green, & yellow that you wish, pastels, earthy tones, or bright tones. Keep the theme of the card upbeat and happy!

And the sketch:

I hope the card has a feeling of spring or renewal.  I wanted it to be simple, but cheery.   My bit of shimmer is on the boots which are embossed in Iridescent Ice embossing powder.  

My three loves relaxing together on the couch.  :)  

Cover It Up!

Another HYCCT card... this was one challenge that drove me nuts because I had zero ideas!   I hate when I get stumped on a challenge; it becomes a huge frustration for me and I avoid stamping.  I'm glad to have this one completed!  Here's Sabrina's challenge:
So my challenge is to make a card with a hidden message (or image) which you can uncover by opening a flap or swinging a hinged tag or panel - not just opening the card .

I'm trying to use up some of my Regal Rose paper and ribbon since it's retired.  It seems to work for the challenges and I'm happy to watch my hoard diminish a bit.  

We did a lot of reading yesterday.  By we I mean all of us, even the cats.  lol  

Stampin' Up! Too Kind

Okay, so I have a confession to make.  I am currently addicted to sequins.  :-/  I want to put them on EVERYTHING!   They totally don't go with this card, but I stuck them on there and they are stuck.   So...yeah.   I made this for Angela's HYCCT challenge:

My challenge to you is to make a card using words that are meant to inspire. What are words that keep you going? What's your mantra? Mine right now would have to be "Grow through it - you're stronger than you think you are" The inspiring words can be the focal point of your card or let the words go with the image you've used. 

A few weeks ago I found the live.love.laugh stamps in the dollar (or dollar fifty as this was) bin at Michael's.  Now I PROMISED myself I could NOT buy any of those stamps EVER again.  I have a ton of them in my shelf that have some dust (maybe a few inches) on them and I just don't use them.   But I loved this one...and it is a great mantra for life, right?!   Maybe I was psychic and saw this challenge coming even!  Ha!   Anyway, I love it and you'll probably be seeing a lot of it this month as I find it fitting for the challenges.

Stamps:  Too Kind, Miscellaneous awesome stamp
Ink:  Regal Rose, Old Olive
Accessories: SEQUINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Another picture from our park playdate last week.  :)   She's so cute.  I can say that, right?!

Double the Hope

It's been a few days, huh?  I haven't been stamping because Jason's been working and Laila doesn't like to nap longer than thirty minutes.  sigh   I did finish up this one I'd started last week for Lori's HYCCT challenge to use leaves.   I wanted to still use pink somehow and thought it might work with some black and gray.   I STILL miss French Foliage, so I dusted it off.  It's probably my favorite SU set I've bought.

Stamps:  French Foliage, A Muse Stamp Out Breast Cancer
Ink:  Smoky Slate, Basic Gray, Basic Black, Melon Mambo
Paper:  Basic Black, Whisper White, Melon Mambo
Accessories:  Neutrals buttons (retired), White Baker's Twine

This second card is for Rebecca's HYCCT challenge to use metal.   Aluminum foil counted, so I embossed some with the Houndstooth embossing folder and paired it with a the Motorcycle stamp I printed from My Digital Studio.  

Stamps:  My Digital Studio, CTMH It's Your Day
Ink:  Basic Black, Melon Mambo
Paper:  Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Aluminum foil
Accessories:  Basic Black chevron ribbon
Tools: Houndstooth EF, Color Spritzer (retired)

Laila had a play date at the park on Friday.   As you can see, she was more into the mulch and pine cones.

Stampin' Up! Camo?

Well it's pink, so you know it's another HYCCT card.  :)   This one is for Lee's challenge:

Yes! We can fight cancer and we can WIN! And we can show our strength in PINK CAMO !!!! Pink is not only my favorite color...but the color of October...and a camo version is inspirational to fight, fight, fight!! I'm inspired by so many who I know are currently battling breast cancer as well as other types....and THEY ARE MY HEROES!!! So let's show them that we'll be fighting with them side by side!!! 

You can use pink camo ribbon, patterned paper, digital paper....or you can even make your own camo paper!!! I made my own background paper by stamping a solid image repetitively in many shades of pink ink!! It's that simple! You can also use a pink and black re-inker and swirl it on white ribbon or white flowers and make your own pink camo design!! 

I didn't have anything that even resembled camo, so I tried to use Gorgeous Grunge to make a camo background.  I hope it is passable.  I added my favorite, a Fun Flowers die flower! 

Stamps:  Too Kind, Gorgeous Grunge

Ink:  Pretty in Pink, Pink Pirouette, Blushing Bride

Paper:  Basic Black, Melon Mambo, Whisper White, Old Olive

Tools:  Big Shot, Fun Flowers die, Boho Blossoms punch, Oval punch

Accessories: Brights Glimmer Brads

Laila hasn't been napping long in her crib, but she'll go back to sleep just fine in our arms.  I don't know what's going on with that, but I make sure my Nook is handy so I can snuggle with her and read.   She crashed on me today after sleeping about 35 minutes in her crib.  I wish she'd sleep in it so I could stamp.  lol  Mommy needs downtime! 

HYCCT Fails

Another of my Hope You Can Cling To cards.  I don't think I like this one and sadly, it's the second attempt at this challenge!   I think I have some sort of mental block going on because I can't get this challenge completed and I've been stuck and not stamping for a couple days now.  I'm a few behind, which is NOT good if I hope to do them all. Hopefully I get a burst of creativity soon so I can stamp out some cards!

This was Beate's challenge:
Create a card Clean and Simple card. One or two layers....no bulky layers or embellishments. Keep it flat.

It shouldn't be THAT hard of a challenge, so I don't know what my problem is.  :-/   Here's my first attempt:

I tried the masking tape technique with some tape I crinkled up before inking and it didn't work out like I wanted.  I used the lightest current green, Pear Pizzazz, and it was still too dark.  Ugh.  Maybe I'll go back revive Certainly Celery and try again.

So that's my day of not stamping... How's yours?! 

Laila LOVES my purse.  Too much in fact.  She got a little mad that I zipped it up and she couldn't pull all my credit cards out.   Last time she did I lost a Visa and my Target card, so no more of that!