Round 4: Ultimate Card Showdown!

Thursday, June 25, 2009

For me, this 2sketches4you Ultimate Card Showdown has truly been the most amazing, challenging and eye opening experience! Having only gotten serious about card making and stamping a little over a year ago, I have just been in awe of all the cards that I have seen over the course of this competition. From the creativity to the different styles and products used, I have really been inspired by each and every card.

It has also challenged me to push my own boundaries of what makes a great card. My first card played it safe. Then round two's sketch threw me a little, but I enjoyed the challenge. Round three's card was 'thinking outside the box' for me with it's collage style but I really liked enjoyed making it! For me, this competition has been about trying new things and experimenting and I think my cards have shown that.

So, with that being said, I hope you enjoy my card Round 4!

Meet Mr Skunk. He followed me home the other day and I couldn't resist keeping him around! ;) hehe He's from Die Cuts With a View's 'Green Stack Chipboard' collection. I paired him with some colorful Sassafras Lass paper that I've been hoarding forever! The scalloped borders on the SL paper worked really well with the sketch too.


I applied some of the polka dot 'Woodland Whimsy' paper to a wooden oval shape I found at Michaels. I sponged the edges with Distress Inks and added the punny sentiment with Making Memories alphabet rub-ons. Then I added the bow, flower and buttons to balance out the card a bit. Lastly, I added some stitches with DMC thread for some extra detail.


I have to say that this sketch - by far - was the most challenging of all of them all! I had a tough time with it. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for me! I want to say good luck to all the Top 10 girls. You all do such amazing work and it is truly a honor to be amongst you all. Thank you for this experience.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I have a couple of other posts scheduled for today, so keep an eye out for them!

Supplies
Stamps: None! *gasp*
Inks: Distress Inks 'Tea Dye, Vintage Photo & Walnut Stain
Papers: Bazzil Basics, Georgia Pacific, PP - Baisic Grey 'Ambrosia Collection - Citrus', Sassafras Lass 'Life Is Beautiful 'My Dearest - All My Heart' & 'Woodland Whimsy - Say Timber'
Access: Ribbon, Buttons, Twine, Prima Flower, Making Memories Simply Stated Rub On Letters 'Heidi', Wooden Oval, DCWV 'Green Stack' Chipboard, Thread, Sponges, Dimensionals

Where's that prescription?!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

..............................................................................THUD!!!!

I was sooooo not expecting this! My card made it to the Top 10 of Laura and Kazan's 2sketches4you Ultimate Card Showdown! The Top 10!!? Have you seen the crazy talent that's in the Top 10?!? *shaking my head* I am just so overwhelmed right now..... I think I need a bit of a lie down.... and maybe a sedative. ;) Never in a million years would I have guessed this.

To Laura, Kazan and the 2S4Y judges - from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!

Round 3: Ultimate Card Showdown!

Friday, June 19, 2009

To get into the Top 30 of 2sketches4you's Ultimate Card Showdown challenge was a huge honor. I mean - HUGE! Then to make it to the Top 20 was just downright shocking! Seriously; I was left speechless all afternoon. If I happen to make it to the Top 10....well...lets just say this: I might need a prescription. LOL

When I saw the sketch posted last Sunday for the Top 20 girls, I initially pictured an image inside the circle panel, but then I looked at my last two cards and realized I had done that with both of them. So then I rotated the sketch and I immediately saw a scene for the horizontal panel. I was so happy that I had an idea to play with, but between work and my mummy duties at home, I didn't get a chance to work on my card until last night! Talk about stressful! haha

Welcome to my neighbourhood! :) It's a little kooky but aren't all neighbourhoods?!

I used Starving Artist's Doodle Factory 'Neighbourhood' for the horizontal panel. The image fit about 1.5 times across this 5" x 7" card. So I stamped it out twice and colored both of them up with reinkers and an aquapainter. No copics here! Then I cut them out leaving some white space around them so they would pop off the page more. The clothes lines were drawn back in with a Micron pen. The 'road' was created with a strip of black cardstock and some ribbon. The green scalloped border was created with punched out circles, sponged with Colorbox Fluid Chalk Ink. I layered them so that they created some weight and a base for the 'neighbourhood'.

The circle panel is a die cut journaling tag from MME's 'Penny Lane - Uniquely You' collection and the sentiment was created using a Dymo labeler. The whole image was then layered on some really fun patterned paper from Reminisce. Just for fun (and a little balance), I added a fun brad from Making Memories.

Last, but not least, I couldn't resist adding a miniture Mimo from the Doodle Factory's Creatures set. He was the perfect size for this neighbourhood and well, who can resist that face?! :)

Thank you so much for stopping by today! Keep your fingers crossed for me and have a fabulous weekend!


Supplies

Stamps: Starving Artistamps/Doodle Factory 'Neighbourhood' and 'Creatures - Mimo (sml)'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Morning Marigold, Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive, Certain Celery, Buckaroo Blue, Not Quite Navy, Cool Caribbean, Really Rust, Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Going Gray, ColorBox Pigment Brush Pad 'Moss Green' and Fluid Chalk Ink 'Dark Moss'

Papers: PTI 'Stampers Select' White Cardstock, Bazzil Basics, PP - Reminisce 'Cloud Puff' and BoBunny 'Wasabi Dot'

Access: My Mind's Eye - Penny Lane Collection 'Feeling Groovy Uniquely You' Die Cut, Dymo Labeler, Making Memories Brad, Ribbon, Circle Punches, Dimensionals, Sakura Micron Pen

Waahoooo! My card made it!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

It made it into the Top 20 of 2sketches4you's 1st Annual Ultimate Card Showdown!!!

I knew the list was being posted today and I purposely stayed away from the computer because if my card made it I was going to get so worked up over it and not get anything else done! LOL Turns out I was right! I should be working on some projects and I can't because my head is so blurred with this news! Ahhhh!

I want to congratulate the other 19 girls who made it to this round too. The talent these girls ooze is insane and I'm just so stunned and honored to be amongst them all. Definitely take a moment to check out their work - you won't be disappointed!

Off to have a celebratory glass of wine now! (That might calm my nerves.) :)

Have a relaxing Sunday evening.

Round 2: Ultimate Card Showdown!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Good Morning!

I hope you've all had an easy week so far. All that gorgeous weather we had here in New Hampshire over the weekend and into Monday has gone AWOL! Yesterday I woke up to it bucketing down and we're in for more of the same for the rest of the week. Just when we were getting used to that gorgeous weather too!

A benefit to all this awful weather was that I got some card making time in and put together my card for round 2 of the Ultimate Card Showdown over at the 2sketches4you blog! Every cloud has a silver lining right?! ;)


I found this gorgeous scalloped paper from MME at my local scrapbook store and based my whole card around it! I grabbed some coordinating MME patterned paper, lightly sponged the edges with Distress Inks, matted it with some Georgia Pacific cardstock then machine stitched around the edges. Then I trimmed the scalloped paper to size, sponged that piece with some more Distress Ink, and machine stitched the two straight sides only. Then I adhered those layers onto a base layer of some cream Bazzil Bling cardstock.

This adorable fairy is from Stamping Bella. Her name is Maisy. I colored her with reinkers and an waterbrush. Then I added some Stickles to her wings, white highlights to her shoes and cheeks with a Gelly Roll pen, and I adhered some of Taylor's Tiny Twinkles to Maisy's crown with my Quickie Glue pen. To ground the image a bit, I water colored some Antique Linen ink in and around Maisy and then sponged some more along the edges of the circle panel. Then I paper pierced around the edge of the circle for some added detail.

See that scalloped base under the main image? It wasn't done with a Nestibility. Nope, I used a small corner punch to create it! Who knew you could create scalloped edges on a circle and not just a straight edge?! Ok, probably everyone, but this was news to me! (I can be a little slow sometimes! LOL) I found this out tidbit of information on the UK blog Scrap Paper Scissors. I love the big scalloped edge, don't you??

To finish off the card, I added some fun ribbon and a button tied with twine across the bottom and pinned down the sentiment with a smaller button and twine along the top of the card. And voila - one card that I hope is good enough to make it into the Top 20 this week!

Good luck to all the Top 30 girls! It's a huge honor for me to be amongst all of you talented ladies!

Supplies

Stamps: Stamping Bella 'Maisy Ketto', My Favorite Things 'Essential Sentiments'

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Morning Marigold, Pumpkin Pie, Ruby Red, Cool Caribbean, Certain Celery, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain and Black Soot'

Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, Bazzil Bling, PP - My Mind's Eye Penny Lane Collection - Free Bird 'Passion' & 'Love'

Access: Ribbon, Button, Twine, Taylor's Tiny Twinkles, Sakura 'Quickie Glue Pen' & 'White Gelly Roll Pen', Ranger Stickles 'Diamond', EK Success Small Corner Punch, Paper Piercer, Nestibilities, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Casing Laurie

Monday, March 23, 2009

Good Morning! Did you enjoy the weekend?

I limited my crafting to Sunday so I could spend the weekend with my family. Hubby usually works weekends, so when he has one off, we like to do things together. Sunday was a very lazy day for DD and DH and it was supposed to be for me too but between making Brownies, doing load after load of laundry, DD calling for me every other minute I barely squeaked a card out!

I did however get this one done and photographed to show you today.


I was reading Tosha Leyendekker's blog, Stamp Talk With Tosh, last week and she mentioned the Stampers Dream dreamy challenge. To play, you have to CASE a card from any of the Design Team girls and leave a link to your card and the card you cased on Michelle's blog post. (It's open til Thursday is anyone is interested in playing!)

Well, I was all set to case one of Tosh's cards (who's work I've always adored) when I discovered her team mate Laurie Schmidlin's blog and found this card that I couldn't resist casing! I loved the layout, the colors, and just every detail!

Typically the rules of casing are to change at least two or three things about the original card. I changed out the stamped image, the colors and omitted the stitching from my version (although, I REALLY love that particular detail and would love to try this level of stitching on a card soon!) The image I used is from The Greeting Farm's digital stamp line. This is Lily. I love the silhoutte look to her! She's printed on Georgia Pacific cardstock and painted with my SU reinkers and aquapainter. I popped her on dimensionals and layered her on some punched out circles. I picked this MAMBI paper because the pattern was very modern and it set a nice contract to Lily's hair. Instead of using a charm like Laurie did, I used this brad I've had for ages.

Had I not been so distracted making this card and looking at it now, I probably would have added some stitching around the edge of the blue polka dotted paper and maybe some stickles to Lily's necklace. I'm still happy with it though.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you all have a fabulous Monday and I'll see you all back here tomorrow for another Twinkling challenge.

Supplies

Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Pretty Head Lily DS' & sentiment from the 'For Someone' set

Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Morning Marigold, Pretty In Pink, Regal Rose, Barely Banana

Papers: Georgia Pacific cs, Bazzil cs, PP - Me And My Big Ideas 'Fashion District'

Access: Ribbon, Making Memories brad, Martha Stewart edge punch, paper piercer, Marvy scalloped circle punch' Fiskars circle cutter, dimensionals

Need A Hug?

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Doesn't this guy look like he just needs a good hug?? Poor monster.

He's called Monster Bedtime and he's from Victoria Case's line of monster stamps. Remember when you were little and you swore that there were monsters under your bed, or in your closet? Or your imaginery monster friend? Victoria has captured these characters just perfectly!

So last week Victoria issued her customers a challenge. It was to create a card using the colors pink and brown and use one of her rubber stamps (vs. her digitals). I have a few of her stamps, so I picked a monster I hadn't colored yet, and I immediately thought of this polka dot paper in my stash. (Yes, there is ALOT of polka dot paper in my stash.)

My sewing machine pretty much permanently lives on the dining room table now, so I ran around the edges of the card with some brown thread. I didn't want to cover up that gorgeous paper, so I just popped Mr. Monster on some Bazzil cs and then popped that off the base with dimensionals. That thread on the button is some of that crafter's dental floss. Strange stuff to play with! And that pretty much it covers the whole card. I hope it's enough to win the challenge because the winner gets Victoria's yet to be released 'Sock Monkey' rubber stamp! And that would make me very happy. :D

Remember that Miss Anya card I showed you last week?? Well tomorrow I'll show you her friends!

Supplies
Stamps: Victoria Case Stamps 'Monster Bedtime', sentiment by Studio G mini alphabet set
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, Old Olive, Vintage Violet
Papers: Canson Watercolor, Georgia Pacific cs, Bazzil cs, PP - Basic Grey '
Access: Button, dental floss, sewing, decorative scissors, dimensionals

Sweethearts!

Friday, February 13, 2009

A happy Friday to you all! If you're at work today, I hope it flies by, and if you're at home like me today, I hope it is nice and relaxing for you.

I have one last Valentines day card to show you. It might actually be my favorite out of the bunch....although the Twilight card does make my heart flutter! LOL

Club Anya threw out a sketch challenge this past week and I couldn't resist having a go at it. The sketch was fun but the prize was just too good to resist! The winner will receive the Miss Anya set being released tomorrow! (I plan on getting her one way or another, but free is better! haha)

I didn't stray from the sketch at all (why mess with a good thing). The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye valentine release last year. Most of you know by now that I don't own nesties, so I cut my circle out with my Fskars circle cutter then cut the circle in half. Then I got out my trusty and loyal decorative scissors and trimmed the curved edges of my half circles to create the scalloped edges. Like I told my friend Kadie, when you don't have stuff, you get creative! LOL

I sponged the edges of the patterned papers and sewed the pieces to the cardstock. Anya and Ian make such a cute couple don't they? I watercolored them in and added stickles to the heart. I stamped out Anya's bow again and popped that up on dimensionals and added a little flower gen to the center. Then it was just a matter of piecing it all together! Jess will announce the winner tomorrow, so keep your fingers crossed everyone!

I have some happy mail coming at the end of the day today. It's my very first order from Whipper Snapper! Eeek! I am very tempted to intercept the delivery at the UPS warehouse so I can play with the stamps this morning, but I have a few other projects to work on and really need to get them done, so that will be my motivation today! *grin*

Have a great Valentines Day and a relaxing weekend!

Supplies
Stamps: The Greeting Farms '50's Sweethearts DS'
Inks: Real Red, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Pretty in Pink, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Black Soot'
Paper: Georgia Pacific cs, Bazzil cs, PP - My Minds Eye 'Kiss and Tell Collection (2008) - I Love You and Adore?'
Access: Ribbon, Stickles, Heidi Swapp flower bling, sewing machine, decorative scissors, dimensionals, sponges

Shades of Blue...

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Good Morning! Hope you all had a great weekend. Ours offically returned to the normal status quo of pre Christmas days. DD was back at her gymnastics class, it snowed a good 6 inches, I had 5 loads of laundry to do and made a card or two. Exctiting hey?? hahaha

Now, I can not lie to you. The card I'm showing you today took me about 5 hours to complete start to finish on Saturday night. Most of it was humming and ahhing over paper and getting the proportions right on Anya's new attire. I love how it turned out, but still, it took WAY too long!

It was created it for The Greeting Farm's 'Anya Fashion Show' competition. I chose to tweak Rockstar Anya because I think her hair is sassy and has lots of attitude! To create this look, I first inked up just Anya's head, carefully avoiding the area where the guitar and hew head meet. Stamped her out three times, hen I used my Micron pen and drew in those missing areas to complete her face.

On the first layer, I quickly washed some color over her hair and face. This is the base layer on the kraft cardstock. Then I really went to town on the second image. I added lots of shading to her hair and face. On the third image, I just colored up the whisp of hair that frames her face. Then I cut all the images out, ran the Sharpie around the edges and layered them on the kraft cardstock with dimensionals.

The dress was easier than it looks. Have you seen those folded dresses that are on cards in the SCS gallery? Well, I looked at them for a while and used my circle punch to create a similar look. I punched out a 2" circle from the designer paper and with my pencil I divided the circle up into thirds (3 equal pie pieces) and cut one pie piece out. I then folded the remaining two-thirds of the circle into little little pleats. When I was happy with the look, I chopped off the pointy part of the pleats to create the waistline of the dress. Then it was just a matter of using something very sticky (like tacky tape) to hold the pleats in place. I drew and re-drew the matching top and arms a few times to get the proportions right, then cut it out and ran the Sharpie around the edges of it, and tucked the top part (her decollage) under Anya's face to create a seamless look. Her legs were created the same way. Then it was just a matter of assembling all the pieces with glue to the kraft cardstock.

I was planning on having Anya hold a piece of string attached to the birdie from the Pretty Hat Anya set, which is why her arm was raised, but I decided that would have made the card too busy. That ribbon was my inspiration for the whole card too! I found it at Michaels in their Christmas ribbon sale rack.....I ADORE IT! How cute are those little ruffles on it!?

You all need to see the other cards created for this challenge! The talent and creativity out there is AMAZING!! I was so blown away by all the entries!

That's it from me today. Hope your Monday sails by and I'll see you all tomorrow. :D Toodles,

Supplies:
Stamps: The Greeting Farm 'Rockstar Anya'
Inks: Staz On 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Cool Caribbean, Buckaroo Blue, Distress Inks 'Vintage Photo'
Paper: Kraft cs, Bazzil cs, PP - K & Company ' Classic K Margo Collection
Access: Ribbon, Robin's Nest Dew Drops, charm, jump rings, decorative scissors, Zig Pen, stickles, dimensionals

Anyone have a RPH??

Thursday, January 8, 2009

A Release Party Hangover that is! I wish I had one because then I'd be home today instead of at work. Blah! Last night was another hilarious event and thank all my SCS girls who popped in to say hi and hang out with me! I love having friends like you! :D I hope you all used your coupon code on any stamps you bought last night! And remember, you can use this code until the end of the month. Isn't that sweet? I have lots of things to tell you about today so bear with me ok?

First up is my card for today. The only set that was released last night that I didn't show you during the week was the half set of creepy crawlies called 'Backyard Dwellers'. It works really well with the 'I Love My Garden' set because the critters are at the perfect scale for the flowers in that set.

The layout is one of Taylor Van Bruggen's Taylored Expressions Cupcake Challenges (TECC46). All the deets are at the bottom of the post as per normal.

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Challenge ALERT!

Marie, the owner of The Greeting Farm (AKA Pink Poison) has put out a challenge to all her customers. It's an Anya Fashion Show! All the deets are on her blog, so if you have any Anya's I highly suggest you play along because you should see the PRIZES!! Holy cow! I want that Miss Anya set soooo badly! :D I plan on creating at least one card!

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Blog Candy ALERT!

Yesterday I adopted two monsters. No, not kids, monstahs!! Victoria Case draws and creates these super ADORABLE monster rubber stamps that I've been eyeing for a while now and today on her blog she is giving away three stamps and a bunch of valentine embellishments!! So head over there, check out her cute stamps, leave some love and tell everyone else about them!

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Last but not least, I've been given a blog award this week from my sweet and darling friend Carolyn (AKA Aunt Carol on SCS) of PMS, etc fame! (I'm so glad you're back in blogland again!)

I'm so flattered, flabbergasted and now I'm even fabulous! hahaha! Well, maybe just my blog....but I'm taking ownership of it! Thank you Carolyn!! If you haven't popped over to Carolyn's blog I suggest you high-tail it over there now because she makes the most detailed and embellished cards you have ever laid your eyes on!

The rules are simple: Paid hommage to whom you receive the award from, pay it forward to five other fabulous bloggers, link back to who gave you the award and to the people you are passing it onto and tell them about it. The twist is to name 5 things that you're addicted to.......just 5?! Well, alright then....

1. Patterned paper

2. Quakes Rice Snacks - cheddar flavor

3. Edward Cullen.....*sigh*

4. Trace Atkin's voice

5. My IPOD Touch (Best thing since sliced bread!)

I'm paying this award forward to these FABULOUS blogs...

Stamps, Paper and Glitter...Oh My!

Glitter in My Hair

Danni's Dreams

Story About A Girl

For the Art Of It

Please visit these girl's blogs because they create some amazing cards!!

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Well, that's it from me. Thank you for stopping by this week and I hope you all enjoyed the sneak peeks. I don't know about you all, but I'm pooped! I'm looking forward to the weekend. See you all next week!

Supplies:
Stamps: Hanna Stamps! 'Backyard Dwellers' and 'I Love My Garden' , sentiment from DMD 'In Bloom STP10515'
Ink: Staz On 'Jet Black', Cool Caribbean, Certain Celery, True Thyme,
Paper: Bazzil cs, Canson Watercolor, PP - Prima Marketing Inc. 'The First Blush Collection'
Access: Ribbon, dimensionals,

All in 6 days!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Happy Saturday morning to you all!

I have been stamping and cutting like a possessed woman all week!! Why? Because Marie, the owner of Pink Poison, mentioned the word 'Olympics' on her blog and I LOVE the Olympics!! I watched it every evening while it was on (GO Phelpsy!!) Anyway, Marie had 'medals' up for grabs: The gold medal winner receives 5 (count em - 5!) sets of thier choice, all 4 'Ians' and a spotlight interview on her blog; silver gets 4 sets of thier choice and a spotlight interview and the bronze medal winner gets 3 sets of thier choice. Are those not ridiculously FABULOUS prizes???
And what did we have to do to enter these Olympics?? Make as many cards with your Pink Poison stamps as humanly possible! I had just received my first two stamps in the mail the day before, so I went to work immediately! I can tell you that I stayed up past midnight every single night this week (because my stamping time is in the evenings after my little girl goes to bed) and you should see the bags hanging under my eyes!! I am not a pretty looking woman at the moment.

And I'm proud to say I did it all for the Anya's! Without further ado, I present to you - my Anya creations!

You'll notice that I did post some of the cards earlier in the week, but I decided against posting all of them in detail. Forgive me, I'm just a little worn out now. However, if you have any questions about the supplies I used on any of them, just leave a comment and I'll get back to you with an answer. :D

Hope you're having a great weekend! I'm currently working on my sneak peeks for the November Hanna Stamps release party this coming Thursday 6th at 9pm over at our SCS member forum. Hope to see you all there!

Toodles,
Sandra