Card Kit Time!

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Good Morning!

It's Thursday and the work week is almost done! Woohooo! Don't really have any plans for the weekend but I'm sure we'll find something to do; we usually do. Hopefully it doesn't rain as much as it did last weekend and we can actually play outside instead of inside. Some sun would be nice: is that so much to ask?

Lately I've haven't had too much time to play with any stamps outside of my DT duties, but when sweet Miss Kadie sent Mary and I our June card kits, I was so happy! Finally a card I can create with no (self-applied) pressure involved! :)

Everything in this kit SCREAMED summer! From the paper, to the embellishments to the sweet image itself - now if only the sun would give in to the peer pressure! ;)

I think I've only colored up one other gorjuss girl and I don't own any in my collection either. What's up with that?! I think this needs to be rectified soon! They're SO sweet and I've seen some amazing cards made with them out there in blogland!

For my card kit, I decided the best way to get the most out of all the papers Kadie sent us, was to heap on the layers! So I went straight to my favorite challenge site that I knew had a sketch with LOTS of layers and this week they didn't fail me! I used the Friday Sketchers #105 sketch and distressed all the layers to play up the 'beachy' look. Miss Little Ducky was colored up, as usual, with my reinkers and aquapainter brush. I added just a touch of Tattered Angels Pearl Glimmer Mist over the main panel and machine stitched it to a layer of white glitter paper for a bit more sparkle - just like the way the sun makes the water sparkle! The sentiment is from the recently released By The Sea set from There She Goes.

So that's what I did with the set. I'm off to check out what Kadie and Mary did with the kits now - you might want to do the same! :) Thanks so much for stopping by today - it's always appreciated!

Supplies
Stamps: Sugar Nellie 'Gorjuss Girl - Little Ducky', There She Goes 'By The Sea'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Taken With Teal, Morning Marigold, Pumpkin Pie, Distress Inks 'Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain'
Papers: Bazzil Basics, PP - Unknown
Access: Ribbon, Flowers - unknown, Spellbinders Labels Eight Nestibilities, Tattered Angels Pearl Glimmer Mist, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Cuddly MacBeth Card Kit

Monday, October 12, 2009

Good Morning!

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Ours was jam packed. Friday night started with a 4 year old sleep over party which was fun for Syd and us. She had her BFF from preschool stay overnight and they had a blast playing dress up, watching a Barbie movie in their pj's and eating popcorn, putting on a show starring a cheerleader and a singing Santa baby and eating Mickey Mouse pancakes for breakfast! I'm not sure who had more fun - the kids or me! :D

Then Saturday we had gymnastics and apple picking which I'm so glad we made a second trip because the Gala apples were ready for picking and they were so crisp and delicious! Then yesterday we went out for breakfast, tooled around Target for a bit, brought out the winter clothes and packed up the summer ones, then spent the afternoon and evening with our family in Massachusetts. A perfect fall weekend really!

In between all that I managed to make today's card but that's about all I did! Some weekends are just about spending time with family, right? Anyway, today's card is made up some yummy, yummy stuff I got in the mail from my dear friend Mary! It was her turn for this month's card kit and she sent Kadie and I this adorable bunny from Sugar Nellie and these equally scrumptious papers!

Mary has a very good eye for paper and embellishments and normally she goes bold and bright, but this month's kit was full of soft, sweet colors and textures. I didn't know which paper to go with so I used them all! :D

MacBeth reminded me of a well loved stuffed toy that brings comfort and a well used heirloom quilt brings that same feeling of comfort and content. So I used the papers to create a quilt like background to the image. I cut the papers into 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" squares, sponged the edges of them and then stuck them to a scrap piece of cardstock. Then I distressed the edges of the piece with my Tim Holtz edge distresser, sponged the edges again to hide the white paper and ran the sewing machine around the squares. Then I adhered it to some brown cardstock and layered it to some Bazzil Bling cardstock base.

MacBeth was colored with reinkers and a aquapainter, then cut out with a large circle nestie and matted with Bazzil Basics. After adhering it to the base, I spritzed the whole card with some Tattered Angel's Glimmer Mist for some soft, pretty sparkle. (None of the colors bled! Phew!) Then I finished off the card by adding some of the buttons, ribbon and the gorgeous corduroy brad Mary sent. The tag was created with the little Mixed Messages sentiment and Martha Stewart's tag punch.

I'm dying to see what Mary and Kadie have done with their kits!! Please go check their's out when you get a chance. There's something fun about seeing what someone else does with the same supplies! :)

Thanks so much for stopping by today! See you tomorrow with another There She Goes challenge.


Supplies
Stamps: Sugar Nellie 'MacBeth', PTI 'Mixed Messages'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Sahara Sand, Cool Caribbean, So Saffron, More Mustard, Really Rust, Pretty In Pink, Old Olive, Distress Inks 'Tea Dye, Vintage Photo'
Papers: Neenah Classic, Bazzil Basics, Bazzil Bling, PP - Unknown
Access: Spellbinders Large Circle Nesties, Ribbon, Button, Corduroy Brad, PTI Rustic Button Twine, Martha Stewart Tag Punch, Tim Holtz Edge Distresser, Machine Stitching, Dimensionals

Live Your Bliss

Monday, August 17, 2009

Clearly this weekend was not nearly long enough for me. I barely got anything done because of all the gorgeous weather we had and just had to spend most of it outside! I wish I had an extra day to get the things I didn't get around to doing done. But alas, it's Monday morning again and I will have to run my errands and do those chores after work today. Urgh!

However, I did get one thing done; today's card. :)

This is a favorite layout of mine because it's so symmetrical. Being in the architectural industry, I gravitate to all things symmetrical and like to have everything in proportion. The same applies to my cards. Meet Porridge. He's a big hunk-o-burnin' love isn't he?! And he is definitely living his bliss here! I was given some images of him recently and when my Mixed Messages sentiments set arrived from PaperTrey Ink arrived in the mail on Friday, I had to color him up and pair him together with this sentiment! It's perfect isn't it?

Porridge was colored up with reinkers and an aquapainter. I had a hard time getting a darker shade of the Blush Blossom in the shadows and creases of him, so I added some Sahara Sand and Going Gray on those areas instead. Didn't quiet get it to work though. That bold graphic patterned paper is from Crate Paper, one of my favorite paper companies! I love how striking it is, but I made sure I only showed a little bit of it so it didn't overpower the image. However, I did use a little more of it on the inside of the card. :)

Did you have a good weekend? Hope this week is a quiet one for you. I'm working full time again this week, so mine will probably be a busy one. Can't complain; it means I can buy myself some new craft toys. :) Have a good one!

Supplies
Stamps: Sugar Nellie 'Porridge', PaperTrey Ink 'Mixed Messages'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Blush Blossom, Sahara Sand, Going Gray, Old Olive, Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, More Mustard, Soft Sky
Papers: Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, PP - Crate Paper 'Prudence Collection - Fortitude'
Access: Ribbon, Shapeabilities 'Tags Trio', Jump Rings, Machine Stitching, Sponging, Dimensionals

Greetings Cutie

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Good Morning!

I hope you're all having a great week so far. It's been very humid and sticky here in the North East these last couple of days and we're expecting more of the same today. Thank the Lord for air conditioning and fruit smoothies to keep me hydrated! :)

I didn't quite get my vintage fix yesterday, so I created another card to curb my hunger. :)

I had colored this sweet Blossom image from Sugar Nellie two weeks ago and she just sat on my table waiting for some inspiration to come my way. She didn't have to wait long; the Sugar Nellie Sugar Bowl Sketch Challenge 15 was posted the very next day! But since I was about to go on vacation, Blossom had to sit some more until I returened and was able to make something this past weekend.

Isn't that frame striking?! I just loooove how it turned out! It's a faux wood frame technique recently posted on SCS by one of my idols, Kim Teasdale. Thank you Kim! I wanted to create more of a white washed look so I used white paper as the base and the Tea Dye/Vintage Photo ink combination to create my frame. It's definitely a technique I am going to use again soon!

I popped Miss Blossom and the two flowers around her up on dimensionals to give the card more presence. She's colored with SU reinkers and an aquapainter and the background was sponged with the Cool Caribbean and Certain Celery ink pads. The flowers all have a black Tiny Twinkle in the centers and the frills on Blossom's dress have some Diamond Stickles added to them. The other panels were sponged with Vintage Photo and then machine stitched.

One of my other idols, Paula Williamson, recently shared one of her tips/tricks she likes to use when adding grass to her colored images. She colors with pencils and gamsol, so I adapted her technique to suit my watercoloring. Not bad for a first try, but I will be practicing this technique again until I'm 100% happy with it.

After I finished off the inside of this card and decided that I would put it up for sale in my card shop too. It's not as hard as it used to be to part with my cards and the hubby is especially pleased that I'm not hoarding them too! LOL

I hope I'm not making anyone dizzy with all the different styles I've been playing with lately. I really like to try new things with this hobby and explore different techniques, so you just never know what you might see when you stop by my blog. ;) Happy creating!

Supplies
Stamps: Sugar Nellie 'Blossom', The Greeting Farm 'Panda Friends'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Pumpkin Pie, Cool Caribbean, Taken With Teal, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Old Olive, Certain Celery, Distress Inks 'Black Soot, Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain'
Papers: Canson Watercolor, Georgia Pacific, Bazzil Basics, PP - K&Company 'Ancestry.com'
Access: Ribbon, Taylor's Tiny Twinkles, Stickles, Button, Twine, Martha Stewart Tag Punch, Machine Stitching, Sponges, Dimensionals

Gorjuss Blossom

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Good Morning!

I've wanted to participate in the Sugar Bowl sketch challenges for a while now, but the timing was never right...until now. This biweekly challenge was a great inspiration because a few of weeks ago I had just received a couple if these sweet Gorjuss Girl images from a dear friend and immediately colored them up.

The sketch for this round was really creative, so I just had to give it a go!

I'm using the Purrfect Friend stamp (minus the little kitty) from Funky Kits. Instead of breaking out my SU reinkers, I used my Distress Inks this time to color up the image. They give a much softer look don't you think? The edges of the panel were sponged heavily with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain. It was then matted with two pieces of vanilla cardstock and machine stitched.

I used my go-to paper K&Company vintage papers when I want to create a vintage looking card. They're perfect for this style of card because they already have an aged look to them. The other layers were sponged with Vintage Photo around the edges and machine stitched. The little scalloped border on the vertical panel was created with decorative scissors. Those scissors have served me well!

I then added some finishing touches like the vintage Prima flowers, vintage brads, adhesive rhinestones and the sentiment, which is a rub-on. There's some serious weight to this card because I finished off the inside to it as well.

I've been toying with the idea of selling my cards, and this may be my very first one. I want to do it right though, so I need to pick up a few things first and set up a store somewhere. If you're interested; stay tuned!

I may not have anything to post tomorrow because I'm working on a project, but I'll be back on Friday! Have a great Wednesday.


Supplies
Stamps: Sugar Nellie 'Gorjuss Girls - Purrfect Friend'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black, Creamy Caramel, Pretty In Pink, Close To Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Distress Inks 'Weathered Wood, Tattered Rose, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain'
Papers: Whisper White, Very Vanilla, Bazzil Basics, PP - K&Company 'Classic K Margo Collection'
Access: Ribbon, Adhesive Rhinestones, Making Memories 'Spring' Rub-on, Prima Marketing Inc 'Nursery Tales Collection' Vintage Style Flowers, Making Memories Vintage Brads, Sponging, Machine Stitching, Decorative Scissors, Dimensionals

A Spoon Full of Gorjuss Girl!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Good Morning Everyone!

This is my second post today. My Twinkling Tuesday card is below, so don't forget to scroll down and check out that card!

I' so excited to say that I'm this week's guest designer for A Spoonful Of Sugar challenge blog!! Woohooo! I was so excited when Nikki Fairbairn (AKA Bunny Zoe) asked me and then I quickly looked through my stash of stamps looking for a really, really cute stamp! While I do have some fun stamps, my good friend Mary recently sent me some images from the Gorjuss Girl line that I've just fallen in love with! Are they not the cutest things you've ever seen?! So wish I owned them! :(

The girls at ASFOS are challenging everyone to use lace on their card this week. This was a first for me so I needed some inspiration. I decided to channel some of Camilla's gorgeous work. If you haven't checked out her blog and cards yet, do yourself a favor and pop over there - I promise you, you will drool!

I found some eyelet lace at my local Joanne's, and pulled out those vintage flowers from Michael's. Then I paired them with my favorite dp in the whole world - K&Company! Yum! I distressed the whole card with my Tim Holtz edge distresser and Distress Inks. Broke out the sewing machine again and sewed around each panel. Don't think the photo shows it well, but I used my new cuttlebug and the swiss dots embossing plate on the base of this card. It really does add so much texture to the card! Loooove it!

The image was colored with Distress Inks and the area around it was sponged to give it a worn look. Then I stamped this $1 stamp I found at Michael's in the corners and some adhesive rhinestones for some pop. The birdhouse charm is from Hanna Stamps (which, by the way, is having a May sale on them and a bunch more other stuff).

Thank you for stopping by today! Thank you to Nikki and the girls at ASFOS for this awesome opportunity!

Supplies
Stamps: Gorjuss girls 'A Little Birdie Told Me', Studio G $1 stamp (baroque motif)
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink, Sahara Sand, Distress Inks 'Weathered Wood, Antique Linen, Tea Dye, Vintage Photo, Walnut Stain'
Papers: Whisper White, Bazzil Basics, PP - K&Company 'Ancestry Collection'
Accessories: Ribbone, Eyelet Lace, Prima Marketing Inc 'Nursery Tales Collection' Vintage Style Flowers and Fancystix Flowers, Prima Flowers, Kaiser Adhesive Pearls, Adhesive Rhinestones, Birdhouse Charm, Making Memories Tiny Alphas, Twine, Tim Holtz Edge Distresser, Decorative Scissors, Sponges, Dimensionals, Sewing Machine

Bubble Pop Fizz

Thursday, May 21, 2009

I can't believe it's Thursday already! Where did this week go?!

This week's challenge on CCEE Stampers is to use that specialty paper you've been hoarding for that 'special project'. What special paper?! I'm not hoarding special paper.....oh, alright; I am hoarding some. ;) I like glitter paper. It's prrrretty. I buy it. I pet it. But I've never actually used it on a card! LOL

That's not the only challenge I managed to include in this card! (Love it when it all comes together like that!) Lately, while I've been blog hopping, I see a lot of cards being made for the A Spoon Full Of Sugar blog challenge. So I popped over there this past Tuesday to check out their challenge and it happens to be their one year anniversary this week. Their challenge is to create some kind of celebratory card. Easy peesy lemon squeezy. The sketch is from this week's Card Positioning Systems sketch CPS116. I was struggling with it until I remembered about the adhesive borders that matched my new favorite paper from K&Co. Perfect!

The stamp is one of Leanne Ellis's beautiful creations from Funky Kits. It's so sad that I don't own this stamp because she was fabulous to color in!! A dear friend of mine gave me some of these images a while back and I couldn't remember where I put them until last night. It's not like I live in a big apartment either - it's teeny! But I have all my crafting stuff jam packed under my table and the envelope they were in got a bit lost. I'm soooo glad I found them though because I think I have a new favorite! ;)

I added some stickles to the frills on the bottom of her dress, the bubbles coming out of the bottle and at the ends of her hair decoration. I also added a black Tiny Twinkle to the center of the flower in her hair. I really love how she turned out. So cute!

Remember when I said I had made some amazing friends on Splitcoaststampers?? Well, the same amazing friends got together and did something crazy!! Because of them, I am the proud owner of my very own CUTTLEBUG...and an OhioMary original! :)

I'm so looking forward to getting to know my new toy... and convincing The Man that I need some Nesties to go along with it! hahaha

Happy stamping everyone and I'll see you tomorrow!

Supplies
Stamps: Leanne Ellis Designs 'Fizz', My Favorite Things 'Everyday Sentiments'
Inks: StazOn 'Jet Black', Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink', Regal Rose, Pink Passion, Morning Marigold, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Taken With Teal, Old Olive, Sahara Sand, Cool Caribbean, Distress Inks 'Black Soot'
Papers: Canson Watercolor, Bazzil Basics, PP - K&Company 'Carolyn Gavin - Greenhouse Papers', Making Memories 'GP 12x12 Glitter Solid Aqua'
Access: K&Company Carolyn Gavin Adhesive Borders, Stickles, Tiny Twinkles, Dimensionals