DTGD Day 1

Happy Saturday! I hope you are finding some time to get crafty today.  If you are a member over at Splitcoast, the Dare to Get Dirty challenges start today.  I've been working on a couple this morning and thought I'd share them.  This first one is for a fun challenge from Lydia.  She always has fun ones that push me to try something hard.  I think the result is fun, so yay!

The second challenge was from Dina and I enjoyed creating for it as well.  I feel like we need more rainbows and sunshine in our world right now, so I may make up a few of these to send out.  It was a pretty simple one, so that shouldn't be too hard.

That's it for now. I'm going to go grab lunch and then come back to work on the next challenges.  I found a good comedy to keep me company.  There's nothing better than creating and laughing!

PTI Make It Monday Color Blocking

Still enjoying Fall in my stamp room. :)  I saw the PTI Make It Monday challenge to do some color blocking and thought it might be fun to use this pretty mum set.  I probably should have used some different colors to make the middle layer of color stand out better, but I like how it turned out anyway.  I do want to try it again with one of the different techniques they shared.

August is my busiest birthday card month, so I need to get some made! My best friend from grad school is my next one, so I'm working on a cute science themed card for her right now. I hope it turns out okay.

Happy Friday!  Enjoy your weekend.
Rita

Papertrey Ink Mum's the Word
Inks: PTI Terracotta Tile, Canyon Clay, Cocoa Bean
Gansai Tambi Watercolors
Canson Watercolor Paper
Stampin' Up! Early Espresso cardstock

SSS Flowers on My Mind

Over the weekend I came in my room to stamp and felt stuck.  I decided to pull out a card kit from Simon Says Stamp and try to recreate one of the samples.  Shari Carroll made an amazing card on the reveal post so I decided to try it.  Mine isn't half as awesome as hers, but it was fun to work on it.  I appreciate her ability to layer and do a collage type design.  I learned that I need a medium gray ink pad though.  My SU Basic Gray crapped out and they don't make it anymore.  Hopefully I can find something similar as I love that color as use it a lot.

I'm not feeling creative today either as I have a headache, but I'm heading to my desk to try it. I might have to have another sample recreating. :)  There's actually a lot of learning involved in that, so I might need to do it more often.

I hope you are having a great week!

Hip for Summer Halloween

Halloween again. :)  I believe this is the last week of Sizzix's Hip for Summer promotion, so I wanted to get another entry in.  I thought the ostrich would be fun as a witch and I think she is.  I had fun using some different supplies and techniques to create it.  Also a lot of cutting. lol

Little Lady is doing great.  Well, if by great I mean keeping me awake at night I guess.  lol She gets a super playful spell right as it's time for bed.  Then at 3am she comes and lays with me.  That would be awesome, but it's right on my face!  We work through it and then I get snuggles until 6 or 7 when she's up and ready for another round of crazy.  Good thing she's cute.  :)

MFT Card Challenges 342

Laila is already talking about Halloween, so I thought I'd get ahead of the game and make her a card.  I hope to sneak it in her backpack or lunchbox. :) I used the new sketch at MFT Card Challenges and a cute MFT Pure Innocence girl.  I got brave and used my neglected Cameo for the web and bats.  The background is Distress Oxide inks in Wild Honey, Spiced Marmalade, and Wilted Violet.

For the past two weeks, Laila has been with a new counselor at her social skills group.  She has been awesome and so helpful with suggestions to try at home.  It seems to be working pretty good, so I'm happy for that.  It's still far from perfect, but we'll take any improvement.  They do a lot of practice like transitions, standing in line, sitting and going work at a table, sharing...all good things that will help her transition to school.  I can't believe it is only five weeks until she'll be a kindergartner. 

Freshly Made Coffee

Back today with Freshly Made Sketches and that technique I promised you.  :)  I did struggle with this week's sketch because tilted panels make me a bit nuts. lol I tried a Christmas card, but I did the "shape" first and it was most of the card front once I put it together.  Then I saw the backgrounds I'd made last week and thought I'd try one of those.  It is made using a technique called Shaving Cream Stenciling.   I know we used shaving cream back when I first started stamping, but this was a fun new take on it.  I forget what colors I used now, but I know Bermuda Bay and Lucky Limeade were two of them. I'm also adding it to Simon Says Stamp Work It Wednesday.  I love this coffee set by them.

I hope you'll take time to come play along with us!  And go try that technique! It's awesome!  I might have to do more today with my new plaid stencil I used on yesterday's card.  

Happy Wednesday! 

Stampin' Up! Fall Leaf

I think I got stuck in Fall mode. lol I won a prize in the Coffee Lovers Hop from The Heart Desires and I got this awesome plaid stencil and Spiced Marmalade Distress Oxide ink.  I played around with a fun water stamping technique I saw on Jennifer McGuire's blog and man is it fun!  I am so excited for cooler weather.  SO READY for it. I'm about to have to pull a lot of struggling plants from my garden because they hate this weather.  As do I.

Come back tomorrow for a new Freshly Made Sketches sketch AND another new to me technique that was also super awesome to do!

Stamps: Stampin' Up! Truly Grateful, SU Wonderfall
Ink: Distress Oxides Spiced Marmalade, Fossilized Amber, Vintage Photo and Ground Espresso Distress Ink, Stampin' Up! Chocolate Chip
Stencil: Carta Bella Plaid #1

Hip for Summer

Every now and then I see a stamp set and it makes me laugh.  The Hipster set from Stamps Anonymous was one of those.  I used it here on a monochromatic card and I love how it turned out.  It's one of my most favorite cards I've made in a while.  Sizzix has a fun challenge going on all summer using it, so check that out on their blog if you have the set.

Now I'm off to finish up some chores so I can be ready for Game of Thrones! Anyone else excited about it?