Happy Halloween!

Saturday, October 31, 2009

I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Halloween today!

There's lots of excitement in our house right now. Syd is looking forward to trick or treating with her cousin later this evening and The Man and I are looking forward to raiding her stash after she goes to bed tonight! LMBO! What?!? You know you all do it too! :D

Because this is one my favorite holidays (it really is strange to call it a holiday...) and I couldn't let it pass without posting one last Halloween card!


Mice aren't that spooky...unless of course you don't like mice! Thankfully I haven't run into one in a few years, so I forget if I mind them or not. But this one is a cutie patootie! Her name's Penny and she's a digi stamp from The Greeting Farm.

I'll post a few pics of Syd in her Halloween outfit tomorrow...she's going as a Princess Witch this year...you'll see what I mean when I show you the photos! LOL


Happy Halloween everyone!


(Don't forget The Greeting Farm VSN tomorrow starting at 7pm CST in the PaperCraft Forum!! See you all there!)

Supplies
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Penny Witch - digi' and Whipper Snapper 'Spooky Expressions'
Inks: Going Gray, Pretty In Pink, Sahara Sand, Perfect Plum, Morning Marigold, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Distress Inks 'Peeled Paint and Black Soot'
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Eerie Collection'
Access: Ribbon, Foof-Fa-La Button, Twine, Machine Stitching, Sponging, Dimensionals

FFF Challenge and a Twinkle Tot!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Good Morning again!

(Please scroll down for the TSG Penguin Love Blog Hop post!)

Is everyone glad it's Friday?!? I know I am after this crazy busy week! I just counted the cards I've posted and there are 14 of them! Fourteen?! And I have two more to show you this weekend! There were A LOT of late nights this week, that's for sure! :)

But never mind my ramblings, it's Friday and that means another Farm Fresh Friday challenge for you all! This week the uber talented Gardener Mercy Kerin has a sketch for us and it's such a fun one!

I saved Izzy to color up last this week because my initial thought was that she wasn't going to be my favorite Twinkle Tot, but boy was I soooo wrong! The stripes in her jacket, her curly hair and the awesome hat are such fun to color! Izzy looks like she's spending the day at the beach, so I 'dressed' her in a springy outfit with light colors. I used SU's Morning Marigold and Distress Inks 'Antique Linen and Tea Dye' on her jacket, with SU's Old Olive for her dress.

I really do enjoy coloring up faces. Especially ones with rosy cheeks and big eyes like Izzys! If you click the image above for a closer look, you can see the glossy accents I applied over her eyes to give them a more doey look. While coloring her face with Creamy Caramel, I quickly add some Pretty in Pink to her cheeks and blend it all in by wiping the brush over the whole face.
You know you want to see what the other Gardeners and Farmers have done with Mercy's sketch, so go check 'em out!

Cindy
Cheryl
Jessica
Kadie
Kim
Lisa
Lynda
Mercy

Remember, Jess changed up the rules and for every 30 FFF entries there will be a prize given away!! So if there are 60 entries, then there will be two prizes!! A sweet deal for sure! So get busy ladies!
Before you go, make sure you all check out all the contests The Greeting Farm has going on this week! There's a kids one, and a My House one and today's FFF. You have until 7pm CST this Sunday night to get your entries in! Winners will be announced during our release party/VSN! We've done it with Club Anya, you've asked for another one, and so this time we're doing a TGF Virtual Stamping Night! Meet us in the PCP Chat Group from 7PM CST to 9PM CST on Sunday, November 1st!
See you all there! :)
Supplies
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Izzy Twinkle Tot'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen and Tea Dye'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Bo Bunny '??'
Access: Ribbon, Spellbinders Label One Nesties, Martha Stewart Edge Punch, Fiskars Decorative Edge Scissors, Rangers Glossy Accents, Sponges, Dimensionals

TSG Penguin Love Blog Hop!

Good Morning and welcome to the There She Goes 'Penguin Love' blog hop!!

If you've stopped by here from Maki's blog, then you need to sit down and absorb all the gorgeousness (is that a word?!) you saw over there! You've made it to the next floating glacier (blog) on this hop. If you aren't hopping but would like to, head over to the TSG blog and start your hop there!

How many of you love penguins?!? I know I do and you're going to LOVE this set! There are all sorts of penguins and things to accessorize them with and have them doing. And the sentiment....did I mention that Jess has the best sentiments?! hehehe

I wanted/tried to create a winter wonderland for Mr Penguin in this scene by using a few of the stamps in this Penguin Love set. I stamped the igloo first, then Mr Penguin, then masked them both off and stamped the floating ice over them. See his cute little top hat?? It's a separate stamp and this set is FULL of individual images like this!

Basic Grey's Eskimo Kisses paper is awesome and as soon as I saw this mahogany colored wood paper in the collection, I knew I had to use it to create a frame around Mr. Penguin! I just cut the paper into 5/8" strips and cut the ends at right angles so they formed a frame. Then you just sponge the edges to give it more of a realistic look. Instead of a button, I stamped the two hearts (also in the set!) onto some scrap BG paper and created my own 'button'. :) And lastly, I couldn't let this card go without some machine stitching on it. It was begging for it...I swear it! LOL
Ok, your next stop along this hop is the Madam Creative herself, Wendy Bond! Thanks so much for hopping by! (Be on the look out for yet another post from me later this morning!)

Supplies
Stamps:
There She Goes 'Penguin Love'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Cool Caribbean, Going Gray, Ruby Red, Distress Inks 'Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Eskimo Kisses Collection'
Access: Ribbon, EK Success Corner Punch and Circle Punches, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

TGF My Home Sneak Peek!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

A happy Thursday morning to you all!

(Please scroll down for the TSG Mini Set Blog Hop!)

This morning I've got a couple of sneak peeks of the newest set to be released from The Greeting Farm!! The set is called My Home and it's ADORABLE! If I had to imagine what a house in TGF world would look like, these would be it! Can't you just imagine the Sprouts living here?! I think I would have loved to have seen a little cottage in this collection too - with a cute thatched roof! Oooo, wouldn't that be adorable?!

There are two homes in this set and a bunch of sentiments, so for this first card I used the little apartment looking one and a matching sentiment. The layout is this week's Mojo Sketch (MOJO110) and I used (up) some of my old Basic Grey paper from the Sugared Collection. The shingled roofs reminded me of a gingerbread house so I naturally went with a sugary theme! :)

This second card shows the other house (more like mansion) in the set. Again, I used up some old Basic Grey paper and I played around more with a cloud template. It's not a store bought one. I created it with a post it note and my corner punch. Just cut an arc on the top of your post it note and then, with the guard removed, clip around the arc with the punch to create a large scalloped border. Mask off your building, then, by working from the top down on your image, apply the template over your image and sponge in an upward motion until you have the color intensity you need. Repeat this however many times you want. Looks cool doesn't it?? This may very well be my new favorite technique! :D

Want to see more cards with this set?? Then check out what the other Gardeners and Farmers have done:
ALMOST FORGOT!!
Do you want to win this set? You didn't think we'd leave the adults out of the contests this month, did you? Well, whether you're young, or young at heart...we have a FABULOUS chance for you to WIN this new set! We are excited to announce the:

"HOME IS WHERE THE {BLANK} IS!" CHALLENGE!

That's right! It's your turn to fill in the blanks! WHERE, WHAT, or WHO reminds you of home?Now's your chance to get creative with this fun weekend contest. Here are the details:
*Create a card, project, or layout that completes and symbolizes the above sentence by making it your own. WHERE? WHAT? or WHO? reminds you of home? We had SUCH an awesome turn out for the New Beginnings Challenge at Club Anya last month, we can't WAIT to see how you interpret this challenge!
*You will have until Sunday, November 1st at NOON CST to get your submission into the Galleria.*You MUST USE TGF stamps.
*Please place your entry in the TGF Galleria>Contests/Challenges>Home ChallengeWe will choose our TOP TWO submissions and announce the winner at our VSN/Release party on Sunday, November 1st at the TGF PCP page at 7PM CST! The GRAND PRIZE winner chosen for this contest will win the ENTIRE NOVEMBER RELEASE! The 1st prize winner will win "My House!" Woohoooo! I can't wait to see what you do!
Thanks soooo much for stopping by today!!
Supplies
Card 1
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'My Home'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Really Rust, Morning Marigold, Old Olive, Cool Caribbean, Going Gray, Sahara Sand, Close To Cocoa
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Bling, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Sugared Collection'
Access: Ribbon, PTI Button, Spellbinders Circle Nestibilities, Sponges, Dimensionals
Card 2
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'My Home'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Sahara Sand, Really Rust, Old Olive, Cool Caribbean
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Mellow Collection'
Access: Ribbon, Foof-Fa-La Button, Twine, Dimensionals

TSG Mini Sets Blog Hop!

Welcome to the There She Goes Mini Sets blog hop!!

We're showcasing two awesome mini sets today. They may be mini but they're definitely produce a big impact! If you've stopped by from Maki's blog, then you're on the right track, but if you haven't and you'd like to hop along with us, then head over to the TSG blog and start there.

I used the new Stick Together mini set again. Remember that 10/15 min card I made earlier in the week?? Well I had to make another card that took a bit longer than that! LOL Not too much longer though.

Before I get into the card, I just have to say that Jess uses the BEST fonts for her sentiments doesn't she?! I ADORE this set just for it's fonts! hahaha Anyway, I pulled some of the colors from this yummy paper by Memory Box and used them on the main panel. I sponged a combination of SU's Soft Sky (I think it was an In Color from a couple of years ago) and Antique Linen and Tea Dye from Distress Inks onto the Labels Four panel. Then I stamped the sentiment from the Stick Together set in StazOn and then snowflakes with the Tea Dye ink over the top. Then I matted it with some Bazzil Bling paper. The piece of Memory Box paper was sponged lightly around the edges with Frayed Burlap and adhered to the Bazzil Bling base. I then spritzed both pieces with some Glimmer Mist in Pearl (it sparkles soo much in real life!) and once they were dry, I put the pieces together and added some wide ribbon to bring the card from so-so to glamorous! Don't you think wide ribbon really does that to a card?!

Ok, thanks so much for stopping by. Your next stop is Wendy's fabbie blog! If you get lost along the way, below is the list of blogs to help you on your way. :)



Thanks for stopping by today! Be on the look out for another post from me later this morning!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Stick Together' mini set
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Soft Sky, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye and Frayed Burlap'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Bling, Bazzil Basics, PP - Memory Box 'Dew Frost'
Access: Ribbon (Michaels), Spellbinders Labels Four Nestibilities, Sponges, Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist 'Pearl'

Whimsical Wednesday Challenge

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Hi again! (Scroll down if you're hopping along the TSG blog hop and my Diedrich Dare card!!)

The Diedrich Daredevils have a fun quiz going on over at the Whimsical Wednesday blog today and since I couldn't really include this in my TSG blog hop earlier, I just had to make a new post about it!

Besides the sketch challenge we Daredevils have a fun little quiz for you! Yesterday, the lovely CASSIE gave the Daredevils a blog award and with it came this little questionnaire.We decided that rather than pass it on to specific people, we'd all fill out the Q&A and share some fun facts with you today!

The key is: YOU CAN ONLY USE ONE-WORD ANSWERS:

1. Where is your cell phone? Lost?!
2. Your hair? Wild
3. Your mother? Inspirational
4. Your father? Funny
5. Your favorite food? Chocolate!
6. Your dream last night? Forgotten
7. Your favorite drink? Smoothies
8. Your dream/goal? Fading
9. What room are you in? Work
10. Your hobby? DUH
11. Your fear? Death
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Home
13. Where were you last night? Couch
14. Something that you aren’t? Healthy
15. Muffins? Pumpkin
16. Wish list item? Plane ticket
17. Where did you grow up? Australia
18. Last thing you did? Coughed
19. What are you wearing? Heels
20. Your TV? Modern Family
21. Your pets? Fish
22. Friends? Online
23. Your life? Fantastical
24. Your mood? Melancholy
25. Missing someone? Family
26. Vehicle? Ridgeline
27. Something you’re not wearing? Necklace
28. Your favorite store? LSS
29. Your favorite color? Green
30. When was the last time you laughed? Yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Last week
32. Your best friend? Melanie
33. One place that I go to over and over? Work (regrettably!)
34. One person who emails me regularly? KadieandMary (Can't pick one!)
35. Favorite place to eat? Lucca's (Everything melts in your mouth!)

Well, hopefully you enjoyed those 35 little bitty facts about me! If you happen to take this and fill it out, leave me a comment so I know to come visit you and see your answers :) For now, head on over to see the other Daredevil's amazing creations and fun facts! They are:


Last but not least, be sure to head over to the DARE Blog to see our Featured Daredevil, KIM has something AWESOME to share with you!

TSG Home Sweet Home Holiday Additions Blog Hop!!

Welcome to the There She Goes blog hop celebrating the soon to be released set of the Home Sweet Home Holiday Additions set!!

If you've just happened upon this blog post and would like to hop along, then head over to the There She Goes blog to get started. If you've stopped by here from the uber talented Maki Joneses blog, then you're on the right path. :)

I have been soooooo excited for everyone to see this new Holiday Additions set of the Home Sweet Home series! It has everything - and I mean EVERYTHING, you are going to need to create your holiday cards! TI'm not kidding either, there are over 40 images in the set - 40!!

This first card uses the two-step wreath stamp in the set. The detail these stamps have is incredible! You're going to love this set! For this first card, I stamped out the base image with Certain Celery then stamped the second, more detailed image on top of it with True Thyme. I then added the bows to the top of the wreaths and some Stickles around each wreath for sparkle. If you think this card looks a little large, that's because it is. I used the large sized Labels One nestie which ended up making this card 4" x 8". I had been hoarding some of this Basic Grey paper from last year and I'm so glad I did! (I bet you still have some in your colletion!)

This second card uses the larger sock image in the set. I wanted to show that you don't need to build a fireplace scene to create a great holiday card. The image was watercolored with SU's Pretty in Pink and Taken With Teal and sponged around the outside with Cool Caribbean. I just got the Cosmo Cricket paper stack and couldn't WAIT to break into it! :) Add some velvet ribbon and you've got yourself a fun holiday card! I used this week's Whimsical Wednesday sketch from young Madelynn Diedrich for this layout. It was perfect for a small image like this! You can check out what the other Daredevils have created with it after this hop. :)

The thing I love about all of Jess's sets is that they have the BEST sentiments! Sentiments for the outside and inside. She really thinks of everything when she puts these sets together.

Ok, your next stop along this hop is the amazing Miss Wendy Bond! If you get lost along the way, here's the list of blogs, just in case. :)
Supplies
Card 1
Stamps: There She Goes 'Home Sweet Home Holiday Additions'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Certain Celery, True Thyme, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen and Tea Dye'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Wassail Collection'
Access: Spellbinders Labels One Nestibilities, Decorative Scissors, Sponges, Dimensionals
Card 2
Stamps: There She Goes 'Home Sweet Home Holiday Additions'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Pretty In Pink, Taken With Teal, Cool Caribbean
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Cosmo Cricket 'Holly Jolly Collection'
Access: Velvet ribbon, Spellbinders Small Oval Nestibilties, Sponges, Dimensionals

Twinkle Tots Sneak Peek!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Good Morning again!!

I'm so EXCITED! Ihave been looking forward to this release from The Greeting Farm more than any other and I'm sure it's not hard to guess why! The girls are finally here!! I can't gush enough over how AWESOME these little girls are! The clean lines and large images make these a pleasure to color. They are destinctly different from the Anyas and Ians style, but if you look closely you'll see familiar signs that these are drawn by our dear Marie.

Miss Madelynn is all snug and cosy in her cute little outfit and that gorgeous peony on her hat is so sweet! I could so see my little girl in this outfit! I used this week's Friday Sketchers challenge #75 for this layout and added a lot of bling to make this card sparkle!

This might be my favorite out of the three cards. Miss Lottie and her bowl of applies is so sweet with her hair in piggy tails and perched on that wall. For some reason she looked like a redhead to me. :) The layout is from this week's Weekend Sketch Challenge #103 which worked so well with this image and Basic Grey's colorful Lemonade paper collection.

It's Snow White! No, it's Ava and her froggy. How adorable is she?! She should be because the real little Ava, whom this image was created after, is our proud TGF Coordinator's little girl! How proud is mama right about now?! This 'week's Sketch For You To Try was perfect for this card and I used a combination of Basic Grey (Marrakesh), Memory Box (Spiceberry) and The Greeting Farm's Sunny Glen paper to tell the Snow White story.

How's that for cute? What's more? We have not one...but three contests beginning today in the TGF Galleria!

***CALLING ALL KIDS: "THIS TOT'S GOT....*** contest!!!

We are so excited to announce three contests, beginning RIGHT NOW for the wee ones! One random winner will be selected on Sunday, November 1st (release day!) to WIN THEIR CHOICE of one of the new Twinkle Tots!

Here's how to enter:
Here are the 3 categories for the "This Tot's Got..." contest:

"This Tot's Got...BLING": Kids (ages 0-13) are to create a card or project using bling

"This Tot's Got...COLOR": Kids (ages 0-13) are to color their little hearts out using crayons, markers, pencils, paint, copics? (gah!) Just COLOR it up!

"This Tot's Got: A STORY": Kids (ages 0-17) are to create card or project based on their favorite children's book.

RULES:
*Create a card or project, based on the them and ages above.*Kids will have until Sunday, November 1st, at noon CST to enter the above three contests.


*Projects MUST use TGF stamps.


*Please upload your projects to: TGF Galleria>Contests/Challenges>This Tot's Got>(one of the 3 categories listed above).Remember, the winners for these contests will be selected at random.



Can't WAIT to see the submissions! If you don't have kids of your own, grab a niece, nephew, or neighbor! Winners will be announced on Sunday November 1st during our release party/VSN (in the PCP The Greeting Farm forum, which starts at 7pm CST!

Last, but certainly not least, The Greeting Farm is welcoming back Summer Gardener Kim Nath back, but this time around she a fully fledged Farmer!! Wooohoooo Kim! So well deserved - your creations really bring Marie's characters to life!!

Thanks soooo much for stopping by today!



Supplies
Card 1
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Madelynn Twinke Tot' and 'Keep Cosy'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Ruby Red, Certain Celery, Cool Caribbean, Sahara Sand, More Mustard, So Saffron, Really Rust
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Eskimo Kisses'
Access: American Crafts Ribbon, Adhesive Rhinestones, EK Success Corner Punch and Circle Punches, Stickles, Stampendous 'Crystal Snow', Dimenionals


Card 2
Stamps:
The Greeting Farm 'Lottie Twinke Tot' and 'Pretty Hat Anya'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Really Rust, Cranberry Crisp, Certain Celery, Sahara Sand, Cool Caribbean, Close To Cocoa, Ruby Red
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Lemonade Collection'
Access: Ribbon, Bella Baubles, Ranger Glossy Accents, Sponges, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals



Card 3
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Ava Twinke Tot'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, So Saffron, Morning Marigold, More Mustard, Ruby Red, Cranberry Crisp, Ballet Blue, Certain Celery, Old Olive, Pretty In Pink, Cool Caribbean, Sahara Sand, Distress Inks 'Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - The Greeting Farm 'Sunny Glen', Basic Grey 'Marrakesh Collection' and 'Memory Box 'Spiceberry Collection'
Access: Ribbon, Mini Brads, Sponges, Spellbinders Large Circle Nestibilities, Dimensionals

To Infinity And Beyond!

Good Morning!

I had so much fun with that DoodleFactory 'Final Frontier' set from Starving Artistamps last week, that I wanted to make a couple more!

I really liked how the background turned out on my 'Peace On Earth' card turned out, so I played with the sponged background again. It's actually really easy to do one you know how. Before applying the sponged background, I inked up a couple of the planets with Versamark ink and stamps them onto the piece watercolor paper. Then I applied Kaleidoscope embossing powder and heat set it. For the sponged colors, I applied a layer of Broken China blue from Distress Inks. Then I applied Buckaroo Blue from SU over the Broken China, leaving some of it showing through. Last, I applied some Black Soot, sparingly, to the edges of the piece and into the middle of the card, careful to leave the light spots still show. After I added all the planets and moons, I added some 'stars' with some Star Dust Stickles. Now the whole piece looks like outer space and the milky way!

This next card came together really quickly. The Final Frontier set has large versions of all the robots and the aliens, but it also contains the mini 1" versions too. All lined up, I thought they'd make a great card from 'the gang'. So I just stamped them all in a row, colored them up and used some decorative scissors (probably my most favorite tools) to give the panel some interest. The cog paper is a recent find from Michaels.
A few people left questions for me in the comments section last week about some of my cards, but if you don't have your email turned on in your profile, I don't have a way of replying to you, so if you have a question, feel free to use the chat box on the right hand side. That way, I can leave you a reply! :)
Thanks so much for stopping by today! I have another post scheduled in a little bit that you won't want to miss! :)

Supplies
Card 1
Stamps: Starving Artistamps/DoodleFactory 'Final Frontier'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Veramark, Cool Caribbean, Old Olive, More Mustard, Really Rust, Sahara Sand, Buckaroo Blue, Distress Inks 'Broken China and Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Canson Watercolor, Bazzil Basics, PP - K&Company 'Day Dream'
Access: Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Stampendous Kaleidoscope Embossing Powder, Stickles - Star Dust' Sponges, Dimensionals
Card 2
Stamps: Starving Artistamps/DoodleFactory 'Final Frontier'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Taken With Teal, Cool Caribbean, Pumpkin Pie, Regal Rose, True Thyme, Going Gray, Buckaroo Blue, Sahara Sand
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, Bazzil Bling, PP - Recollections 'Rockets and Sprockets Collection - Switchback'
Access: Decorative Scissors, Rangers Glossy Accents, Dimensionals

TSG26: 10 min cards

Monday, October 26, 2009

A happy Monday morning to you all!

Did you have a good weekend? Saturday was rained out for us and since Syd has had a runny nose and a bit of a cough, I kept her home from gymnastics on Saturday. So we stayed home and did craft things. I stamped like a woman possessed and she got to paint. Sunday we hung out at my in-laws house with our family from MA who were visiting (hi Kate!). Had such a great time playing on the Wii with them! I soooo want one for our house!

The There She Goes challenge (TSG26) for today is to whip up cards in 10 minutes!! Yes, ten minutes! I think my all time record has been a card in under an hour....and you want me to make a card in 10 minutes!? Can you tell I had problems with this challenge?!?

I'll be honest, these cards probably took closer to 15 minutes rather than ten, but I think if you used some nice, white ink, you could definitely get this done in 10. ;)

See those snowflakes? Haven't seen them in the TSG shop?? That's because this is a SNEAK PEEK of a mini stamp set called Stick Together being released this weekend! It's such a beeeeeautiful set and definitely a must-have in your collection! The sentiments are so sweet and the snowflakes are gorgeous!

I first cut the base kraft cardstock to a standard sized card (4.5" x 5.5"). Then I cut the next layer to the same size as the front of the card and cut each edge with some pinking shears. Then I lightly sponged the edges of it with Walnut Stain Distress Ink. The size of the next layer of cardstock is 4.5"x3.25" and the patterned paper is 1/8" smaller in size. Sponge the edges of the patterned paper with the distress ink again and matt it to the Cranberry Crisp cardstock.

Then, very quickly, I stamped out the big snowflake, the two swirls and the two smaller snowflakes with Versamark ink, sprinkled white embossing powder over it, shake off the excess and heat set it. Lastly, I added the ribbon on off to one side, popped the layer on dimensionals and adhere it to the base card. The last thing I did, and you may not see it in the photo, but I sprayed Glimmer Mist (in Pearl) all over the card to make it sparkle and bring it up a notch.

And that's it. I think the color, pinked edges and the shimmer really make this card seem like it took a lot longer than it really did. Want to see more samples? Check out what the other Trendsetters have created! And you might even seen a few more sneak peeks - you never know! :)

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Stick Together' Mini Set
Inks: Versamark Ink, Distress Ink 'Walnut Stain'
Papers: Kraft, Cranberry Crisp, PP - Basic Grey 'Wassil Collection'
Access: White Embossing Powder, Ribbon, Fiskars Pinking Shears, Sponges, Dimensionals

FFF - Punch Drunk Love

Friday, October 23, 2009

It's Friday! It's Friday! As Martha would say...that's a good thing!

This also means it's there is another Farm Fresh Friday challenge fresh from The Greeting Farm for you all!

This week's challenge is called Punch Drunk Love and I'm sure you can guess what that means....we wanna see what you can do with all your punches!! So break them out and start punching ladies!! :)

Be it vodka or punches; I don't get drunk any more. :) Basically that means I have a few edge punches and circle punches but nothing else. I never really got into the whole Stampin' Up workshop thing so I don't have any SU punches, but I sure wished I had the oval one this week! It would have come in handy for a sentiment on this card! Doh.

I used the ever so sweet Marlene Monkey and some fabulous paper from my favorite company - K&Company. The scalloped border you see wasn't done with a nestie, but rather with those Marvy punches we were all clammering for before Spellbinders got wicked popular! I don't actually own the scalloped nesties for the rectangles, so I use my trusty Marvy scalloped square punch to create my scalloped backgrounds. Time consuming - yes, but when you don't have the latest and the greatest, you improvise alot! :)

Not that you can clearly see it, but I also used Martha Stewarts lace edge punch along the polka dot strip. I borrowed this week's Unscripted Sketches #27 layout for this card. A nice and simple card to end the week. (And I needed it too!) Check out what the other DT girls have created with this challenge:

Cindy
Kadie
Cheryl
Lisa
Lynda
Mercy


Next week is going to be REALLY, REALLY exciting! You'll start seeing A LOT of sneak peeks for The Greeting Farm's November release and I think you all know what that means....the girls are coming! THE GIRLS ARE COMING! :) (I also have sneak peeks for There She Goes, so stay tuned!)


Supplies
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Marlene Monkey'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black, Creamy Caramel, Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Sahara Sand, Cool Caribbean
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - K&Company 'Greenhouse Collection'
Access: Martha Stewart Edge Punch, Marvy Scalloped Square Punch, Dew Drops, Dimensionals

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Good Morning!


It funny how much kids notice. A few weeks back we bumped into our elderly neighbors downstairs and their daughter was visiting at the time. She was introduced to Syd and I. Normally she's a very out going girl and will say hi but she hid behind some stairs instead and kept calling my name trying to get my attention. I knew why too. Our neighbor's daughter had obviously gone through some chemotherapy and the lack of hair on her head did not go unnoticed. Now, this surprised me because her dad, uncle and great uncle all sport bald heads but a woman with no hair is not as common and apparently little ones know this. I handled this the only way I knew how to: I told Syd not to be shy and to ask her why she had no hair. I don't know if it was the right or best thing to do, but I didn't want to act like Syd never asked the question and make everyone feel uncomfortable. The woman was very gracious and told Syd that she was taking some medicine that made her loose her hair and that it would eventually grow back. Syd eventually came around and spoke to the woman. I didn't want to pry so I don't know what kind of cancer she had, but it sounded like she was doing much better. It just amazed me how perceptive kids are even at a young age.

So today's card is in honor of all breast cancer patients everywhere!

I really like how this one turned out! You can never have too much pink on a card like this, right? I used the bra from the Hanna Stamps 'Breast Cancer Hanna' set and colored it in with SU's Pink Passion and then added some of Taylor's Tiny Twinkles to turn the bra from flashy to fabulous! I stamped the bra again onto a piece of Strathmore Bristol paper and used the Labels One nesties to cut it out. I started out sponging the piece with Tea Dye Distress Ink and it started to look like I had made a mistake, but the more ink I added, the better it got (in this case, more was better than less - go figure!) Then I cut out the bra with the rhinestones out and popped it on the cut piece with dimensionals, matted it with some pink cardstock and that piece was done. The background came together easily. No sponging, just yummy pieces of Basic Grey paper from the Lemonade collection!

Hope you have a great day! The sun is peeking through the clouds this morning. Hopefully it stays with us all day!


Supplies
Stamps: Hanna Stamps! 'Breast Cancer Hanna'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Pink Passion, Cranberry Crisp, Distress Inks 'Tea Dye'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Lemonade'
Access: Ribbon, Labels One Nestibilities, Taylor's Tiny Twinkles, Sponges, Dimensionals

Arghh! There She Goes!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Good Morning!

(Please scroll down if you're hopping along on the DoodleFactory Blog Hop!! Thank you!)

I'm not sure if I'm coming down with something or what but I've woken up with somewhat of a sore throat then it slowly subsides over the course of the day. Hopefully this isn't the start of anything bad. I definitely can't come down with something a week before all the releases!! Eek! I might have to grab myself a lemon and make some lemon honey drinks to soothe this throat.

Ok, onto today's Whimsical Wednesday challenge! This week's challenge is an inspirational one and it's brought to us by little Jack Diedrich!

Arrrgh!! Me matey! It be a treasure map ye seek! LOL Yes, we have a treasure map as our inspiration and I just want to be the first to say that I completely bombed out on this challenge! I thought I'd be clever and combine this weeks There She goes challenge (TSG25) which is to use dry embossing on your project and make it more of an elegant card, but it didn't quite turn out that way...

I don't know if it's the colors, or the layout or just the idea, but whatever it is, it didn't work out all that well. :( Sometimes things just don't go the way you want!


For some much more brill ant examples of this inspiration challenge, check out what the other daredevils did with it!

And for more awesome examples of There She Goes challenge, check out what the talented Trendsetters did!



Head over to the Whimsical Wednesday blog to see this week's featured stamper, the super busy Jessica Diedrich and to get all the details on this week's challenge. We also want to give a big warm WELCOME to our newest designer, Randi Wall!! Can't wait to see your creations Randi!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Life's A Beach'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Cool Caribbean, Creamy Caramel, Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Distress Inks 'Frayed Burlap, Vintage Photo'
Papers: Kraft, Canson Watercolor, Bazzil Basics

Access: Ribbon, Cuttlebug Swirls and Distressed Stripes Embossing Folder, Dimensionals, Sponges

Starving Artist/DoodleFactory Blog Hop!!

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....LOL! (I couldn't resist!) Welcome to the Starving Artistamps New Release Blog Hop celebrating the release of their new set


DoodleFactory Final Frontier!!

I'm sooo excited to able to hop with Tracey, Irene and the design team!

You are going to want to visit all the stops on our hop because someone is giving away a complete unmounted set of the new release for blog candy. We are keeping the blog candy open for one day only so your chances of winning are even better! (blog hop ends October 21st, 11am PST). If you just can't wait to get your hands on the new Final Frontier set don't worry you can order it starting now and if you are our lucky winner we will let you substitute another set of equal value instead! (Don't forget: You can use the discount code savetenSM to save 10% off your order!)

If you have arrived here all by yourself and are just finding out about the blog hop please start at the beginning at the Starving Artistamps blog. Scroll down for the full list of blog stops in case you get lost.


I had a ton of fun coloring up these cute spaceships, robots, aliens and planets!! Any chance to use a bunch of glitter and sparkle is a good thing! :) I used this week's Card Pattern's #37 sketch for this first card.

The Cuttlebug Spots and Dots embossing folder makes for a great crater effect on cards! Look how HUGE that planet earth is!! And the cutest astronaut I've ever seen! I borrowed Get Sketchy's #10 sketch for this layout. Can you believe I didn't use any designer paper on this card?! The background was sponged with inks.

This next card uses this week's Weekend Sketch Challenge #102 for it's layout and the what might be your home if you lived on Mars! :) Vork might even be your neighbor! LOL

These next cards are what's known as scraplings and they're supposed to be created from leftover cardstock (not these ones though!). I colored up the larger aliens and fun robots from the Final Frontier set and made some name plaques out of them. Wouldn't they look awesome on table set up for a Outer Space themed birthday?!?

Thank you sooo much for stopping by, now it's time to head on over to the super talented Lori Tecler's blog for your next stop.

Supplies
Card 1
Stamps:
Starving Artistamps/DoodleFactory 'Final Frontier'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Going Gray, Cool Caribbean, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Buckaroo Blue
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - K&Company 'Day Dream'
Access: Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Fiskars Circle Cutter, Rangers Glossy Accents, Dimensionals

Card 2
Stamps:
Starving Artistamps/DoodleFactory 'Final Frontier'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Going Gray, Cool Caribbean, Buckaroo Blue, Distress Inks 'Broken China, Black Soot'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Bling
Access: Cuttlebug Embossing Folder 'Spots and Dots', Machine Stitching, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Stickles, Stampendous 'Kalidescope' Embossing Powder, Sponges

Card 3
Stamps:
Starving Artistamps/DoodleFactory 'Final Frontier'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Old Olive, Certain Celery, Cool Caribbean, More Mustard, Really Rust, Distress Inks 'Tea Dye and Vintage Photo'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Bling, PP - Recollections 'Friends Forever Collection - School Daze and My Clique'
Access: Ribbon, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder 'Divine Swirls' and 'Spots and Dots', Sponges, Dimensionals

Card 4
Stamps:
Starving Artistamps/DoodleFactory 'Final Frontier'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Taken With Teal, Cool Caribbean, Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics Bling, PP - Recollections 'Rockets and Sprockets Collection - Switchback'
Access: Ribbon, Stickles, Dimensionals

Tuesday Morning Sketches

Good Morning'!

This week, There She Goes is sponsoring Tuesday Morning Sketches. This is a relatively new sketch challenge blog and Melissa, the designer and creator, has such a talent for sketches! You definitely need to add her blog to your list of weekly challenges! I know I have. :)

This card turned out a bit bigger than I anticipated. It's 5"x7" and I used the awesome Spooky Silhouettes set. The fun spooky house image was stamped in StazOn Jet Black with Morning Marigold, Pumpkin Pie, Tea Dye and Vintage Photo sponged over it. The designer paper has been my favorite of this season. It's by Making Memories and I found it at Michaels.

I hope you all get a chance to play along this week. By participating in this sketch, not only will you get to try out a fun, new layout but you will also have the opportunity to win a There She Goes stamp set! Both the TSG Blog and the Tuesday Morning Sketches Blog will pick one lucky winner to win a There She Goes stamp set of their choosing!! (Valued at $15). So make sure you stop by both blogs and add your entry to double your chance to win! Cool no?! :)

Be on the look out for another post from me a little later on this morning! You won't want to miss it!

Supplies
Stamps: There She Goes 'Spooky Silhouettes'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Morning Marigold, Pumpkin Pie, Distress Inks 'Tea Dye, Frayed Burlap and Vintage Photo'
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Making Memories 'Spook Alley'
Access: Ribbon, Making Memories Lace Trim, Martha Stewart Edge Punch and Bat Punch, Tim Holtz Edge Distresser, Sponges, Dimensionals

Hanna Stamps Fan Blog Hop!!

Monday, October 19, 2009

Welcome to the first ever Hanna Stamps Fan Blog Hop!!

If you've stumbled upon this post and want to hop along with us on this hop, then head over to Frances Brynes blog and start your ride there.

Domestic Goddess was the first stamp set I had bought outside of Stampin Up and I have adored her ever since. And since it was a Hanna Stamps set that started my card making hobby, I had to use the latest Hanna in my collection.


And since it was a Hanna that got me started, I thought I'd make a card with the latest Hanna to be released - Geisha Hanna! The nice thing about Hanna Stamps sets is that you don't have to use all of the main image in the set AND there are a ton of accessories that come with the sets! For my card I stamped the top half of Geisha Hanna and then popped up the paper umbrella for a great 3D effect.

Hanna Stamps has a SERIOUS sale going on!! Everything is 10-50% off in the store!! There are charms for a crazy 10 cents!! Get your bargain now before they're all gone!

Now hop over to the awesomely funny (and my Farmville neighbor) KELLI JO! If you get lost along the way, here's the list of hopper participants below to find your way again. :)

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the Hanna Stamps eye candy!!


Supplies
Stamps: Hanna Stamps 'Geisha Hanna'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, So Saffron, Morning Marigold, Cool Caribbean
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Lemonade Collection
Access: Ribbon, Button, Small Oval Nestibilities, Dimensionals

Good For Any Cause

Is it Monday morning already?!? Where did that weekend go??

This weekend did not flow as well as I would have liked it to. The Man had to work Saturday morning, but had to sought out a big mess at the end of the day that took up a bit of the afternoon. Syd and I went to her gymnastics class. When he finally got home, we caught the bus down to the Keene Pumpkin Festival while it was still daylight and somewhat warm. Had a great time there looking at all the fun costumes and carvings! This year we finally broke our own record that has stood for almost 6 years with 29, 068 lit pumpkins! Boston still holds the world record since holding their own Pumpkin Festival a few years back, but considering that Keene's population is less than the number of pumpkins we had this year, that's pretty impressive!

Ok, onto today's card! I did another quick card using Ribbon Riley from Hanna Stamps again since it's National Breast Cancer Awareness month and another card for the cause can never hurt! :)

A quick little card (5.5" x 5.5") with Riley colored with reinkers and an aquapainter brush. I am really liking these papers from Basic Grey's Lemonade Collection! I've been using them a lot lately and I can't seem to get enough! I matted the patterns with two different shades of pink Bazzil paper and sponged around Riley with Pretty In Pink to tie it all in. Finally got myself some pink ribbon and tied a big pretty bow off to the side. Last, I added some Stickles to the ribbon Riley's holding for some sparkle!

That's it. Really simple, but the papers make it really pop. Don't forget!! Tonight's the Hanna Stamps Fan Blog Hop!! It all starts at 10pm EST over at Frances Byrnes blog. Can't wait to check out everyone's Hanna and Riley creations!

Supplies
Stamps: Hanna Stamps! 'Ribbon Riley'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Going Gray, Pretty In Pink
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Jraft, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Lemonade Collection'
Access: Ribbon, Stickles, Dimensionals, Sponges

Coming Soon!

Friday, October 16, 2009

I'm sooooo excited!! I get to help participate in this hop!!


Be prepared to start hopping! There will be candy up for grabs for one day only! :D

No Ribbon? What do you mean 'no ribbon'???

Woohooo!

It's Farm Fresh Friday again! I hope you're all having fun with these challenges. I know I am!

When I saw this week's challenge, I immediately got this sharp pain in my chest and I had to sit down for a bit. Why? Because this week's challenge is called Thrills Without Frills. It's a limited supply challenge where the only embellishment you can use are buttons! No ribbon, no frills, just buttons! I don't know what ribbon ever did to whomever came up with this idea but I guess that's why they call it a 'challenge'!


I have heaps of buttons but I never exclusively use them on a card sans anything else, so this was a challenge for me! I colored up the uber sweet Maggie Bunny drawn by TGF's newest designer, Marine Neira with reinkers and an aquapainter brush on some Strathmore Bristol Vellum cardstock. It's not as forgiving as watercolor paper, but I love the smooth surface. The name 'vellum' apparently only describes the ever so slight texture to the paper. It's not vellum in the real sense of the word.

I'm not sure what exactly 'no frills' means, but I interpreted it as being no other embellishments, so I used decorative scissors, a scalloped punch and a corner punch (with the guard off) to create some added interest.

The sketch was this week's Sketch For You To Try. I love Jenn's sketches! Again, Miss Maggie was colored with reinkers (Going Gray for her body, Old Olive for the grass and Cool Caribbean for the sky around her) and an aquapainter. The buttons come from a few collections from Foof-Fa-La. They have the best assortment of buttons!
Can't wait to see all your button creations!! Have a fabulous weekend!


Supplies
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Maggie Bunny' and 'Panda Friends - retired'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Going Gray, Cool Caribbean, Old Olive, Morning Marigold, So Saffron, Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose
Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Cosmo Cricket 'Girl Friday - Saturday and Sunday'
Access: Foof-Fa-La Buttons, Ranger's Glossy Accents, Marvy Scalloped Square Punch, Machine Stitching, EK Success Corner Punch, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Dimensionals

HSC91: Obscure Holiday

Good Morning!

Today I have another Hanna Stamps challenge for you all and this one is being hosted my yours truly. :)

We all know October is National Breast Cancer awareness month, but did you know that there are other causes out there that need some love too?? For instance, did you know that it's Eat Country Ham month?? Or that it is Cookie Month, or Clergy Appreciation Month? It's even Sarcastic Month this month! So my Hanna Stamps challenge (HSC91) is for you to create a card celebrating these lesser known causes!

My card celebrates Adopt A Shelter Dog Month. I used the cute hound dog from the recently released 'Dectective Hanna' set. Looking at this card now, I wish I had done a scene behind the hound, but hindsight is 20/20 right? *roll eyes* I used some old, old paper from Crate Paper and the layout is from this week's Unscripted Sketches #26.


Hope you can play!

PS. Only a few days left to sign up for the first ever Hanna Stamps Fan Blog Hop happening on Monday!! It's a chance to get out your Hannas and Rileys and get noticed!!

PPS. You may have noticed that the Hanna Stamps store is closed for inventory. Hopefully it should be back up and running soon. It's a lot of work inventoring a whole store just by one person! :D


Supplies
Stamps: Hanna Stamps! 'Detective Hanna', Karen Foster Snap Stamps
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Sahara Sand, Soft Sky

Papers: Strathmore Bristol Vellum, Bazzil Basics, PP - Crate Paper 'Cowgirl Collection - Buckle and Red Boots'
Access: Button, Twine, Fiskars Decorative Scissors, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

Preggers!

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Good Morning!

As I said yesterday, I've missed out on the last few Bellarific Friday's lately because of my workload, but I had to create a very special card for a very special lady!


The fabbie mama this card is going to just found out that she's having a baby boy and I swear I dug and dug and dug through my paper collection to find some boy colored paper, but alas, no such luck! I have a little girl, so boy stuff doesn't exist in my house! LOL I compromised and used a bit of blue from Basic Grey's Lemonade collection. The layout came from last week's SCS Sketch Challenge (SCS249) because it was perrrrfect for a Bella. Pregabella was colored with reinkers and an aquapainter brush and the horizontal strip was created with a combination of decorative scissors and a Martha Stewart edge punch. Cute and simple little card hey? Hopefully mama loves it. :D

I think I need to do some Bella shopping again so that if Ms Em decides to do a Christmas or thanksgiving themed challenge, I'll be all set. LOL

Have a good one!


Supplies
Stamps:
Stamping Bella
'Pregabella', MFT 'Essential Sentiments'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Soft Sky, Cool Caribbean, Sahara Sand, Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Distress Ink 'Frayed Burlap'
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, PP - Basic Grey 'Lemonade Collection'
Access: Ribbon, Martha Stewart Edge Punch, Decorative Scissors, Dimensionals

Related Posts with Thumbnails