Bashful Cocoa

This was for today's Color Challenge on SCS, Bashful Cocoa, to use Bashful Blue, Close to Cocoa and Certainly Celery. I decided to use a couple of texture plates today since I don't really use them much. For the card base, I used the Fiskars Waves texture plate, and for the Close to Cocoa piece of cardstock, I used the Sizzix Texturz Wacky Sparkles plate. I sanded both of them to try and bring out more of the embossing. The image and sentiment stamps are both by A Muse. Just a fun, simple card. I was happy I got to stamp today since I've been too busy to keep up with the challenges. I can't complain, though, because we've been a GOOD kind of busy. :) Lots of fun summer outings and time spent with family and friends. Have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- A Muse; Ink- Basic Black; Paper- Close to Cocoa, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Whisper White; Accessories- Prismacolor markers, Making Memories brads, Fiskars Waves Texture plate, Sizzix Texturz Wacky Sparkles plate, paper piercer, ticket corner punch.

Jenn's Dirty Dare Challenge

This was for Jenn Balcer's Dirty Dare Challenge on Saturday, to make a card using a cheerful color combination. The more I'm challenged to use the Bold Bright color family, the more I like them. I know I say this every time I use orange, but I NEVER use Only Orange. My oranges are in the Earth Elements family. More muted. Every time I see a bold, bright card that someone made, I LOVE it. I just don't know why I stay away from the Bold Brights. Anyway, this layout was just very simple. I used my Cuttlebug Swirls folder on the base of the card and added some paper piercing on the green layer. The sentiment is by A Muse. Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Garden Whimsy, sentiment from A Muse; Paper- Only Orange, Real Red, Wild Asparagus green, Whisper White; Ink- Only Orange, Real Red, Green Galore, Old Olive, Basic Black; Accessories- paper piercer, ribbon from Doodliedoo, Cuttlebug Swirls folder, Making Memories brads.

Beate Weekend Sketch #12

This is for Beate's latest weekend sketch challenge. Have I mentioned that I just LOVE doing sketch challenges? I think they are my favorite challenge, and Beate always has a great one! :) I tried to pull the colors from the patterned paper I used. I don't know if you can tell from the photo or not, but the big butterfly is lined with paper piercings. He just looked so flat sitting there, so I tried the piercing to give him some dimension. It looks pretty neat in real life. The smaller butterfly is stamped in Certainly Celery, then again on vellum in Tempting Turquoise. I cut just the wings out of the vellum and attached them over top of the Certainly Celery butterfly, again for dimension. The ladybugs, I let their wings hang over the square they're mounted on. That actually makes it fit into the "Out of the Box" Dirty Dare Challenge by Leslierich. Don't you love when things like that happen by accident? I've fallen WAY behind on my Dirty Dare Challenges, so it's nice to get another one in there without thinking about it. Hope you're having a wonderful Sunday! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Garden Whimsy; Ink- Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip, Ruby Red, Certainly Celery, Tempting Turquoise, Basic Black; Paper- Amy Butler Sola Collection, Wild Asparagus, DCWV chocolate and turquoise, Whisper White; Accessories- paper piercer, Chocolate Chip marker, horizontal slot punch, ribbon from Oriental Trading.

Dirty Dare Day 2

This was for the Dirty Dare Sketch Challenge that Beate hosted on Thursday. I think sketch challenges are my favorite! I didn't get to do any of the Dirty Dare Challenges yesterday. . .at least not yet! :) Today we have to go to a wedding, so there won't be any stamping time for me. I'll have to get some done tomorrow! Hope you've been checking out the Dirty Dare '07 Gallery. There are some GORGEOUS creations in there from the challenges so far! If you have some time, head on over and check it out! Have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Changito and sentiment by Stampendous; Paper- DCWV brown, So Saffron, Whisper White, green unknown; Ink- Basic Black, Basic Brown; Accessories- paper piercer, ticket corner punch, Mega scallop circle punch, Jumbo circle punch, Prismacolor markers, Cuttlebug Swirls folder, horizontal slot punch, grosgrain ribbon.

Finally, a Tent Topper

I have been wanting to make one of these tent topper cards since I saw them on their extremely talented creator's blog, Michelle Wooderson. She comes up with the most fabulous creations! The Sketch Challenge on SCS this week was to make a tent topper. . .perfect excuse for me! :) Since I was behind on challenges and short on time, I combined the Sketch Challenge with today's Limited Supplies Challenge, It's Not All Black & White, to use only black ink and then "color" your card using embellishments or paper. This card came together pretty quickly, which made me VERY happy! I just LOVE these tent toppers! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Melanie, Rubber Romance, sentiment from Verses; Paper- Regal Rose, Amy Butler Sola Collection, DCWV olive; Ink- Palette in Noir; Accessories- paper piercer, horizontal slot punch, organdy ribbon, ticket corner punch, Coluzzle oval template.

Easy Elegance

This was for Notimetostamp's Easy Elegance Dirty Dare Challenge. Usually my elegant cards are MUCH simpler. . .maybe some Cuttlebug embossing, ribbon and a tag attached to the ribbon with the sentiment. I tried to make this card more interesting though. I used a glue pad on my Doodle wheel, then dumping glitter all over that part of the card. On the other side of the card I used the Pick a Petal brass template to make random piercings. I wanted them to look a little more "doodly" and whimsical, but I think they ended up looking more quilted. Lastly, I used the Cuttlebug Textile embossing folder on the pink cardstock on which I mounted the sentiment. I really enjoy these challenges. . .I just wish I had more time to do them all! :) SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Happy Harmony, Doodle whell; Ink- Regal Rose, Glue pad; Paper- Shimmery White, Regal Rose; Accessories- Cuttlebug Textile folder, Making Memories brads, ticket corner punch, glitter, organdy ribbon, Pick a Petal template, paper piercer.

More Dirty Dare

This was another card I made for yesterday's Dirty Dare. This was for Sweet Miss Daisy's Pet card challenge. I don't do many "pet" cards because I've always been allergic to most animals, but I have a few "pet" stamps that worked for the challenge. I haven't used my Pink Cat Studio stamps in a while. I really do LOVE these stamps! I used my Prismacolor markers to color the kitty. I think I'm starting to get the hang of these markers! I just have to keep practicing! :) Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Pink Cat Studio; Paper- Wild Asparagus, Taken with Teal, Whisper White; Ink- Basic Black; Accessories- May Arts ribbon, paper piercer, Prismacolor markers, horizontal slot punch, Making Memories brads.

Dirty Dare Day 1

Today started the Dirty Dare Challenges on SCS. Those designers, past and present, from the Dirty Dozen post challenges for Fan Club Members to try! It's all in celebration of the Splitcoast Fan Club being around for 3 years! I can't believe it's been that long already. Anyone can view the special gallery, but only Fan Club Members can upload to it. It lasts until Tuesday, July 31. I got to do 3 of the 4 today. They were fun too! I don't know if I'll get to do that many each day, but today was a good day! :) This card was for Genie1314's Sketch Challenge. What a fun sketch! I'll share the others with you throughout the rest of the week. Have a great night! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Whale Wishes; Ink- Regal Rose, Basic Black, Certainly Celery; Paper- Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, DCWV Nana's Kids; Accessories- horizontal slot punch, paper piercer, 1" circle punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, ribbon from Walmart.

Bella Box

I saw this Bella, Musicabella, on Julie's blog a little while ago. I had no idea Musicabella even existed! I had to get her! Well, I was at my local stamp store last week and they recently started carrying Bella stamps! I looked through them before and they didn't have anything that I didn't already have or want. Last week, however, they just got Musicabella! Can you believe it? So, I got one and picked one up for my dear friend, and upline, Kathy. (Kathy is an organist/pianist, well all-around accompanist!) I made one of these One Sheet Boxes to put Musicabella in. Kathy just loved it, which made me very happy! I need to use my Bellas more. I haven't used them much lately and this was a perfect excuse to pull them out! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Musicabella, Faux Ribbon; Paper- DCWV lime, Regal Rose, Whisper White, Basic Black; Ink- Basic Black; Accessories- small oval punch, Cuttlebug Swirls folder, Prismacolor pencils, gamsol, stump, ribbon from Walmart.

More Pink Olives

I actually had time to squeak out another card for the Color Challenge today. The patterned paper is from the Amy Butler Sola Collection, and the Regal Rose background panel is embossed using one of the new Sizzix Texturz Texture Plates I found at Joann's! (and I even got to use a coupon!) I don't know how long Joann's has had them since I haven't been there in a while, but they are for use with the BIGkick and Big Shot machines. (Oh, and they sell the Sizzix BIGkick now too) I used the texture plate in my Cuttlebug. This was the Flowers #3 plate. I really love how the texture plates give a subtle embossed look. Have I told you how much I LOVE the Garden Whimsy set? When I got it, I thought I'd use the tulip stamp the least, and it seems that I've used it the most! I just LOVE the look of it! Well, it's time to turn in for the night. Thanks for visiting again! See you tomorrow! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Garden Whimsy; Ink- VersaMagic in Pixie Pink, Pink Petunia, Aloe Vera, Tea Leaves and Hint of Pesto; Paper- DCWV Olive, Whisper White, Regal Rose, Amy Butler Sola Collection; Accessories- Giga Scallop circle punch, Mega circle punch, Sizzix Texturz Flower #3 plate, Cuttlebug, White gel pen, paper piercer, Lollipop ribbon, slit punch.

Double Challenge

Yesterday's Try a New Technique Challenge on SCS, Make a Little Magic, was to make a Magic Card. . .something I've never made. I didn't get to it yesterday, so I thought I'd try and combine it with today's Color Challenge, Pink Olives, to use Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Old Olive. I have to say that the tutorial Beate wrote (link above) is wonderful and very easy to follow. I, however, had to make it very difficult. You see, the usual Magic cards use a line art image that you stamp and leave uncolored on the window sheet, then you color that image in on the cardstock that's behind the flap so that when you pull the tab, the uncolored line art image on the window sheet lays perfectly on top of the colored in image on the cardstock. . . magic complete! I had this idea to use my Little Lady Papertrey Ink set and use the "filler" stamp on the window sheet, hoping it would look like tulips. Well, I couldn't make "stems" look like stems, so they ended up looking like hearts. No problem, I can work with that. I also had to outline them with a Sharpie marker because they weren't really showing up. . .and in order for the "magic" behind piece to show through, the window sheet color had to be light. I'm not crazy about how the "traced" hearts look, but I thought I'd share this card with you anyway. . .especially since I spent so much time on it! :) Trial and error, right? So, when you pull the tab, the "hearts" become ladybugs and instead of getting just "kisses", you get "bugs & kisses"! Too bad the dots/head/body stamp of the ladybug wouldn't look right on the transparency! It would have been so much easier! LOL Thanks for visiting, and if you read this whole post, thanks for making me feel like this card was a good try! :) SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Little Lady, Papertrey Ink, Bugs & Kisses; Ink- VersaMagic in Pixie Pink, Old Olive, StazOn Jet Black, Regal Rose; Paper- Amy Butler Sola Collection, DCWV Olive, Whisper White, Window sheets; Accessories- clear embossing powder, Stamp-a-ma-jig, round tab punch, Making Memories brads, Sharpie marker, ribbon from May Arts and Walmart, Sticky tape.

Sweetest Card

I got the SWEETEST CARD in the mail yesterday from Jami at Crazy Daisy Creations! Look at that adorable patterned paper she used! I just LOVE it! The paper is so sparkly too! Jami is such a sweetheart and I just LOVE visiting her blog. Our birthdays are only 2 days apart (but many years! LOL), and we keep finding things that we have in common! We joke that we're long lost sisters, but she really is like a little sister to me! :) Thank you, Jami, for being so thoughtful. I just LOVE the card and the ladybug paper made it even more special! You are awesome!

Tagged Again!

I was tagged by Anna at Paper Posies, Monika at M.A.D. Stamper and Tara at Tara's Paper Crafts. A couple of these tags go back a while, so I'm REALLY behind. Once I got my third tag, I thought I'd better get on the ball! You are to list 7 random facts about yourself. I did this tag a while ago, but it sure is fun to find out random things about other stampers, don't you think? Here's my list:


1. I come from a very large family. I am the oldest of 6, and my parents are each one of 10 children.

2. I am a very quiet person and am uncomfortable starting a conversation most of the time. Once I get started, though, I'm just fine! :) Odd for someone who has spent their life in theater, huh?

3. I am now pregnant with baby #3! (over half way through, in fact!) And we just found out it's a BOY!

4. It drives me NUTS to be home a lot. I like to go go go. . .whether it be to visit family or friends(both which I do often) or go to the park. I get really bored if I'm home a lot.

5. My family nickname given to me by my grandma (before I was even born) is Charlie. My grandma's from the south, so she pronounces it "Chah-lie" with that southern drawl. Most of my friends call me Charlie too because I lived with my grandparents when I went to college, and when my friends would call, they'd get a real kick out of my grandma calling "Chah-lie, telephone!"

6. Charmaine is actually my middle name! My first name is Patricia (just like my mom and grandma). My mom didn't think it sounded right Charmaine Patricia, so she named me Patricia Charmaine, but I've always been called Charmaine formally.

7. Unlike most women, I HATE clothes shopping. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for craft shopping! :)

Happy Mail!

I can't believe I'm still receiving Birthday cards! How wonderful to celebrate a birthday so long! :) This adorable card is from Becky, A.K.A. Belledancr on SCS. She even sent me some Stampendous Queen Bee images along with it! How sweet! Thank you so much, Becky!

The second package was from Melanie at Melanie's Madness. She got me this CUTEST shopping list with the ladybug just because she saw it and thought of me! I just can't believe how sweet that was! Just because! WOW! Thank you so much, Melanie, I just LOVE it! I actually needed a new magnetic shopping list, but kept forgetting to get one when I was out. So this is perfect! You made my day!

Sketch by Jen

This card is for a sketch on Jen del Muro's blog. I thought it was a great sketch. I love how the layered blocks just come together easily. . .at least for me. I have difficulty when there are triangles involved! :) I used my Whale Wishes set, and every piece of paper is from my scrap bin! That pile just keeps growing and I try to pull paper from there instead of cutting into new paper all the time. I love when I have pieces that are big enough to work! Check out Jen's blog and give the sketch challenge a try yourself! Have a beautiful Sunday! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Whale Wishes, Spotted Jumbo wheel; Paper- DCWV brown, Blue Bayou, Whisper White, unknown green; Ink- Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi; Accessories- word window punch, Making Memories brads, Black marker, paper piercer, $1 ribbon from Michael's.

Beate Weekend Sketch #11

This is for Beate's latest weekend sketch challenge. I just LOVE the sketch! I used some new paper I got at Joann's. It's by K & Company, the Amy Butler Sola Collection. It's double-sided and I love it! Again, I used my latest favorite set, Garden Whimsy. I actually wanted to use the Whale Wishes set for the challenge, but it didn't go with the paper I chose. This sketch came together pretty quickly, which a GREAT way to start my day! Now I have time to do everything I'm supposed to do! :) Hope you have a great Saturday! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Garden Whimsy; Paper- Amy Butler Sola, Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Shimmery White; Ink- Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, Chocolate Chip; Accessories- Giga Scallop oval punch, Mega oval punch, paper piercer, large oval punch, Textile Cuttlebug folder, May Arts ribbon.

Monochromatic Happiness

Today's Limited Supplies Challenge at SCS was Simply Monochromatic. I love monochromatic cards even though I don't usually make them. The catch with this challenge was you couldn't use any embellishments! That was tough for me because I usually ALWAYS add ribbon. I wanted to add some paper piercing, but I thought maybe that was considered an embellishment. Another thing I did with this card that I never do (because I can't get my brain to work with them) is add flourishes. I think the patterned paper made me do it! :) I'm not sure if they work, but that square piece of cardstock behind the flower looked so "nekkid"! Thanks for stopping by! I hope your weekend is off to a great start! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Pick a Petal, Rhonna Farrer Flourishes; Ink- Not Quite Navy, Basic Black; Paper- Not Quite Navy, Wild Asparagus; Accessories- circle punches, oval punch.

Playing with Markers

Today is just a simple card. It's actually Dawn's Small Square Pocket Card. I just LOVE these little cards! If you click on the link, it will take you to Dawn's tutorial and you can become addicted as well! :) I just wanted to make a simple card today because my main goal was to play with my Prismacolor markers. I've had them for a while and have only used them a couple of times. Once the Alcohol Marker Tutorial went up on Splitcoast, I tried to blend more with the markers rather than just color. My first attempt was awful! They bled horribly! I thought maybe it was the paper I was using, but I think it was just my markers. Most people you've seen coloring with markers lately have been using the Copic brand. I've never used Copic, so I don't know how different they are from the Prismacolor. Anyway, for this card I used Shimmery White cardstock and I had a MUCH BETTER experience with blending. So, maybe it was the cardstock. . .who knows. This still didn't color exactly as I wanted, but I'm still practicing and I'm very happy that the color didn't bleed! Next time I'll try the same cardstock as before and see what happens! :) Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- You're Bugging Me, MissyB Designs; Ink- Palette in Noir; Paper- Shimmery White, DCWV orange and unknown green; Accessories- Prismacolor markers, Mega oval punch, Giga scallop oval punch, ribbon from Doodliedoo, horizontal slot punch.

Difficult Sketch Challenge

This was for today's Sketch Challenge at SCS. Let me tell you, I had such a difficult time with this sketch! It took me FAR too long to make this card. Of course, it could have seemed longer because Arwen just wouldn't nap, and that's when I usually get my stamping done. I'm glad I stuck it out because I'm happy with the card, but I almost gave up a number of times. This is the first time I've used this orange ribbon. I won it quite a while ago from one of Beate's Fresh and Fun Freebies! I just LOVE the ribbon, but I don't usually use orange so I made a point of using it today! I think it ended up being a fun Happy Birthday card! Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Party Punch; Ink- Pumpkin Pie, Not Quite Navy, Basic Black; Paper- Wild Asparagus, Not Quite Navy, Shimmery White; Accessories- horizontal slot punch, Making Memories brads, Designer Label tag punch, May Arts ribbon.

Rockin' Girl Blogger

I was given the great honor of being nominated for Rockin' Girl Blogger by Flo at Flossie's Follies and Julee and Poetic Artistry! What a wonderful thing! That is just so cool of them to think of me when deciding who to nominate! :) Thanks girls! Now I'm supposed to nominate 5 people. Hmmmm. . . .

1. Melissa at Simply Pink

2. Jami at Crazy Daisy Creations

3. Pam at Stamping with Serendipity

4. Donna at Serenity in Stamping

5. Angie at Quacking Creations

There are so many blogs that I visit daily and that inspire me daily, it's hard to choose just five! Yikes!

A Different Look

Today's Color Challenge on SCS was to use Bordering Blue, Not Quite Navy and Mellow Moss. I love this color combination! I really didn't know what I was going to do with it. I pulled out my Garden Whimsy set and the only neutral paper I had right on my desk was watercolor paper. When I stamped the large butterfly on the watercolor paper, it didn't stamp very crisply because of the texture of the watercolor paper. . .that's when the "playing" happened. I took my Aquapainter and just brushed it over the butterfly to give it that watercolored look. I wasn't sure how it would turn out because the Garden Whimsy set is more modern looking. I kept layering stamped images and cut out a smaller butterfly to mount over top of the big one. The patterned paper I used on the bottom part of the card is Basic Grey Stella Ruby. I tried to match up the style of the focal image with the patterned paper. What do you think? Did it work? It's definitely a "different look" for the Garden Whimsy set. Not what I originally intended, but I think I like it! :) Thanks for stopping by today! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Garden Whimsy, Happy Harmony; Paper- Not Quite Navy, Bordering Blue, Mellow Moss, Watercolor paper, Basic Grey Stella Ruby; Ink- Not Quite Navy, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke, Basic Black; Accessories- blue organdy ribbon, rhinestone brads, Aquapainter, glitter.

More Birthday Goodies!

Look at this wonderful and thoughtful birthday gift I received from Linda MacDonald at MacDonald Clan! I cannot believe all of the gorgeous papers, the stamp set, the punch outs. . .what an unbelievably sweet gift!! Linda and family were in Pittsburgh earlier in the summer because her husband was taking classes at Duquesne University. Unfortunately, it didn't work out for us to meet, but we've been "chatting" online ever since. Hopefully we will get another chance to meet! Linda is a WONDERFUL person and so thoughtful! I'm jealous of all the scrapbooking she does since I don't do very much. This awesome package will sure help motivate me to get some pages finished! Thank you so much, Linda! What a wonderful birthday surprise! I just love it! Stop by Linda's blog. She posts lots of endearing stories about her adorable children (complete with awesome photos) and some very funny jokes along with her beautiful scrapbook pages!

Tapestry

Today's Try a New Technique Challenge at SCS was Tapestry of Life, to use the tapestry technique. I never did this before. It was really simple to do, and I LOVE how my background came out. Unfortunately, I don't like the overall card. I got this clear stamp set a couple of weeks ago because I just LOVED it. I just can't seem to make the images work for a focal image. With this card, I tried faux stitching around the starfish thinking that would give it more focus, but I'm not sure it worked. I'll keep playing around and see what I can come up with. Have a great day! SUPPIES USED: Stamps- MSE! By the Sea Sentiments; Paper- Certainly Celery, Regal Rose, Whisper White; Ink- Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue, Regal Rose and Whisper White Craft inks, Charcoal chalk ink; Accessories- paper piercer, starfish charm, organdy ribbon, clear embossing powder, heat gun, sponge.

And the Winner Is. . .

Dottie K. who commented:
We went to Corolla in North Carolina and rented a beautiful beach. First time we've done this and I highly recommend it. I'm not a great beach person and I can't wait to go back. Also I've been playing Blog Bingo with Julee and having so much fun and making a bunch of cards. Such yummy goodies. Thanks!

Congratulations Dottie! Email me with your address, and I'll get these out to you right away!

Thank you all for playing along! I really enjoyed reading what you've been up to so far this summer! Some of you have done lots of traveling while others have just enjoyed time at home. I hope the rest of your summer is as enjoyable as it has been so far! :)

Thoughtful Julie

I got this adorable birthday card in the mail from Julie at Stampin With Julie. I even got a stamp to go with it! Julie is such a sweetie! She knows how much I LOVE ladybugs and made this wonderfully colorful card for my birthday! How sweet is that? I just love the patterned paper she used and the REAL stitching! That's something I never do. . .especially since I have a paper piercer and markers! :) Julie, thank you so much for this beautiful card and stamp! Thanks for thinking of me on my birthday! You really made me smile!

Happy Anniversary!

Today makes seven years for my husband and me. I can't believe it's been seven years already! This was one of our favorite wedding pictures. Instead of having a ring bearer, we had three flower girls. The blonde and redheaded cuties are my husband's great nieces, and the brown haired beauty is my cousin. Don't they all look like little cherubs? They were all so stinkin' cute. Now, they all look so much older! Well, for that matter, so do we! :) Every time I look at this picture I just have to smile. I love you, dear! Happy Anniversary. . .and thank you for seven beautiful years together!!!! I look forward to the next seven!

Mothermark

Today's Featured Stamper on SCS is Cindy Motherway, or Mothermark. She has a very extensive and VERY beautiful gallery on Splitcoast. . .you should really check it out! It took me a while to find a card to case since so many of them caught my eye. I finally decided on this gorgeous card of Cindy's. I changed all the colors and the stamps, but kept the layout. Instead of using a single flower image, I used my Doodle wheel and colored it in using gel pens. I didn't have a charm to add to my card like Cindy added to hers, but maybe if I find one, I'll add it later! :) I just "met" Cindy through the beautiful card she sent me earlier this week. She is such a sweetheart, very friendly and so appreciative of something as simple as a comment I sent telling her I received my card! :) Way to go, Cindy! I'm so happy for you being chosen as this week's Featured Stamper! Your work is amazing! Congratulations! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Doodle jumbo wheel, Warm Words; Ink- Basic Black, Wild Wasabi; Paper- Wild Wasabi, DCWV black, yellow, Papertrey Ink white; Accessories- gel pens, oval punch, Making Memories brads, ribbon from Doodliedoo.

More Wonderful Mail

Yesterday I received more wonderful mail! This first one is from Debi Klason, or bottomphish on SCS. The picture doesn't do this card justice. The flowers are colored in a gel pen, so they are a bit raised which makes it so much more beautiful! Thank you, so much, Debi for the birthday wishes! I really appreciate it!



The second card is a congratulations card for being chosen as Featured Stamper on SCS! It's from Cindy Motherway, or Mothermark on SCS. I can't believe she sent me a card for this reason! How absolutely sweet! This was the card she made for the challenge. The title of the challenge was "Charmed, I'm Sure", and not only did Cindy put that on the card, but she used the play on words and made these beautiful charms across the card! What a neat idea! This is such an adorable card. Thank you, Cindy, for thinking of me and sending me this card. You really made my day!


You can click on the links to both bottomphish and Mothermark's galleries at Splitcoast if you want to see what other beautiful things they create!

Beate Weekend Sketch #10

I haven't done one of Beate's sketches in a while, so I thought I'd jump in on this one since I HAD to use my new stamps! :) I absolutely LOVE this Whale Wishes stamp set! As soon as I saw it in the new catalog, I knew I had to get it! Isn't it just so fun and cute? I also got the Spotted Jumbo wheel and I thought it would work nicely for bubbles. Thank you for another GREAT sketch, Beate! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Whale Wishes, Spotted Jumbo Wheel; Ink- Blue Bayou, Wild Wasabi, Groovy Guava; Paper- Wild Wasabi, Blue Bayou, Groovy Guava, Whisper White; Accessories- grosgrain ribbon, paper piercer, 1" circle punch.

Bouquet

Today's Limited Supply Challenge on SCS was Message Bouquets, to put a bouquet on your card. Since I just got my scallop circle punch and Pick a Petal brass template, I wanted to use them right away! I used the "smile" petal from the Pick a Petal set to make stems for the flowers. The piercing around the petals is a must for me, and one of the first reasons I HAD TO HAVE that brass template! :) I added Stickles in Lime for the leaves of the flowers, Yellow for the centers of the little flowers, and Stardust for the dots on the big flower. One of the big petals didn't ink all the way, so that's how the little green ladybug happened! She is from the Garden Whimsy set. I used her to cover up the "white spot" on the petal. I am really going to LOVE this brass template! I do already! Now I have to ink up the rest of the Garden Whimsy set. I just LOVE it! Thanks for stopping by! Hope you're having the start of a great weekend! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Pick a Petal, Garden Whimsy; Ink- Purely Pomegranate, So Saffron; Paper- Purely Pomegranate, So Saffron, Wild Wasabi, Whisper White; Accessories- Pick a Petal brass template, Stickles in Stardust, Lime and Yellow, paper piercer, scallop circle punch, grosgrain ribbon.

Happy Mail!

Look at this GORGEOUS birthday card I received today from Pam at Stamping with {Serendipity}! I was so excited to open this and even more surprised at the different and unique opening of this card. It's a regular sized card, but the front is folded back to meet the fold of the card and then the Cuttlebugged pieces are added to the "new" front flap and the right side of the inside of the card. Did that make sense? Then the sentiment is attached to the "front flap" so it looks to be centered between the halves of the card. I just LOVE it! I HAVE to make one of these cards! And as if this stunning card wasn't enough, I got two packages of mini primas! I was so excited! Thank you SO MUCH, Pam! I absolutely LOVE this card. Your coloring, as always, is just amazing. If you haven't seen Pam's coloring before, check out her blog. You will be amazed! What an awesome pick-me-up for a pretty uneventful day! Thanks for thinking of me, Pam!

Ways To Use It

This was for today's Ways To Use It Challenge on SCS, Stylus Challenge. I haven't used my stylus in a while, so I thought this challenge would create the perfect opportunity. I am still loving my Love It set! I love having a coordinating brass template complete with piercing guides! There is a coordinating brass template in the new catalog to go with the Pick a Petal set that I just can't wait to get! It's supposed to arrive today! Maybe I'll make another card for the challenge later when that template gets here! I took the color combination from the ribbon. The ribbon is darker, but I thought it matched enough with River Rock to work. Soft Sky is the other color I used. The center of the popped up flower is one of the new rhinestone brads that Stampin' Up carries. Instead of piercing around the popped up focal flower, I stuck my Sahara Sand marker through the holes to outline the flower with dots. Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Love It, So Very; Ink- River Rock, Soft Sky; Paper- River Rock, Soft Sky, Whisper White; Accessories- ribbon from Michael's, Love It Brass template, paper piercer, stylus, Sahara Sand marker, rhinestone brad.

Time For Oodagoodies!

It's been a while since I've offered any Oodagoodies, so I thought it was about time! Included in this package is:

1. Dawn Houser Daydreams Cards by You set complete with 8 printed cards and envelopes, 6 foam rubber stamps, black ink pad, 24 dimensional embellishments, and coordinating patterned paper.
2. Alterable wire bound book with wooden covers.
3. Four different spools of ribbon.
4. Alterable index card box.
5. Rhonna Farrer Autumn Leaves flower clear stamp.
6. Studio G clear stamp set.

All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what fun or interesting things you've done so far this summer. Leave your comment by Monday, July 16 at 10am EST and I'll draw a random number to select the winner! Thanks for playing along, and I look forward to hearing what fun things you've been up to!

Shirt Inspiration

This was for today's Sketch Challenge on SCS. You'll notice I used colors from my least used color family again. . .Bold Brights. The actual inspiration for this card came from the shirt my daughter Savannah was wearing. It really reminded me of the flower from the Do the Hula set. I have never used that set before, and Savannah's shirt made me pull it out! For the background flowers, I stamped them in Whisper White Craft ink and then used a sponge dauber to put Only Orange pastel over top of parts, a technique known as Poppin' Pastels. I stamped the sentiment in Only Orange on Only Orance cardstock and cut carefully around it. Then I mounted it with dimensionals over top of the flower and triangle piece. The sketch challenge was a little out of my comfort zone since I don't do well with triangle shapes, but it seemed to come together pretty easily. It's definitely a different layout for me! Thanks for stopping by and have a great day! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Do the Hula; Ink- Only Orange, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White Craft; Paper- Only Orange, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White; Accessories- paper piercer, white gel pen, Coluzzle circle template, prima flower, Making Memories brad, pastels, sponge dauber.

I Met Markie's Mom!

This past Saturday, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting Faith, or Markie's Mom on SCS! We met at the local stamp store in Pittsburgh, Stamp Fanci. They were celebrating A-Muse-a-pa-looza that day! Faith was in town from Jacksonville, FL for her husband's family reunion. I can't believe all of the things she did, and all of the people she met while she was here. Amazing! It's funny, we only "found" each other through our blogs a week before she came to town. When she knew I was from Pittsburgh, she mentioned that she would be in town and fortunately, we were able to meet! She is so much fun! I don't think I ever stopped laughing while with her. Not only was I lucky enough to meet her, but I was lucky enough to receive this awesome gift package from her! So unexpected. . .I was just floored that this was all for me! Faith, you are SO generous! We only spent about 45 minutes together, but it seemed like 5 since we had so much fun. Faith is such a delight and just a joy to be around. If you haven't ever been to her blog or checked out her SCS gallery, you really should! Her work is just amazing. Every card she does is better than the last. Faith was even lucky enough to win one of the A Muse prizes before she left to head for home! Yeah, Faith! I was so happy you won! I look forward to the next time we can meet!

More Happy Mail!

I can't believe this is mine, mine all mine! I saw this card on Beate's blog and fell in LOVE with it! Little did I know it was my birthday card! I got it today in the mail and was SO EXCITED! Isn't this just the most darling ladybug card you've seen? I'm so glad I got the Pick a Petal set because I will definitely be making more of these! Thank you, Beate, for this wonderful card! You made my day and made me feel so special! You're the best! HUGS!

Bold Brights!

Today's color challenge on SCS was to use some Bold Brights. . .the color family that I don't use very much of. The challenge called for Real Red, Tempting Turquoise and Green Galore. I wanted to use my new ladybug stamp that I got in my birthday package from Jami. It's a Penny Black stamp, and I think it's so cute! Besides, I really need to work on using small images. They're easy when I do a little 3x3 card, but when I make a standard 4.25x5.5 card, I feel like the whole rest of the card is naked! I guess I just need to get over that! :) Thanks for stopping by! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Lady Love, Penny Black, So Very, See You Around wheel; Paper- Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Shimmery White; Ink- Real Red, Tempting Turquoise, Green Galore, Palette in Noir; Accessories- grosgrain ribbon, small oval punch, Making Memories brads, paper piercer, Aquapainter.

Wonderful Mail Day!

When I went to my mailbox today, it was like my birthday all over again! I was so excited! I got 2 cards and a package! Woo hoo! This first card is from Diane Gilbert at My Little Stampin' Spot. Isn't this just the sweetest card? I LOVE the way Diane used the Pick a Petal set! The patterned paper is just wonderful! I "met" Diane through my blog. She was one of my readers and wanted to start a blog of her own but wasn't sure about it. I'm so glad she ended up starting one because she has such wonderful things to share! I LOVE visiting her blog. Thank you, Diane! I really love my card! Check out Diane's other WONDERFUL stuff on her blog! She makes beautiful things!

The second card I received is from Nancy Elrick at Nancy's Creative Mess. If you've been to Nancy's blog, you know that it is anything BUT a mess! I can't believe I haven't really visited her blog until now! I am really looking forward to going back over there and checking out her other delightful creations! The card that Nancy sent me is just so colorful! I love the way she colored it, the patterned paper, and the gorgeous little rhinestones that frame the sentiment. What a beautiful card! Nancy, thank you so much for thinking of me on my birthday!

The package I received is from Jami Speidel at Crazy Daisy Creations! I could not believe this package! Can you? I have followed Jami's blog since it's beginning since we both started at the same time. We gave each other support in the beginning since neither of us knew what to expect with this blogging thing. Jami is a real sweetheart and it's very evident through reading her blog! I just LOVE this big floppy flower card she made me, and the box of goodies is just awesome! That CUTE little ladybug stamp, and did you notice I got another Jami original bracelet?!!! I won one of her bracelets a little while back and I just LOVE it! This one has a little ladybug charm! It is just the sweetest, most thoughtful gift and I adore it! Thank you SO MUCH Jami! This package was such a BIG, wonderful surprise and you are such a sweetheart! I cannot express how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness!

I am just so blessed and fortunate to have my blogging friends! Blogging has opened up a whole new world for me and I am so grateful for each of you. . .all my readers, those who comment, and those I've come to know a little better. You have no idea how each of you brighten my every day! THANK YOU!

Featured Stamper!

Today I needed to make a graduation card. My brain wasn't really working creatively, so I turned to my best source of inspiration, the challenges on Splitcoast!

Sunday's challenges are for Featured Stamper, where you CASE a card from the Featured Stamper's gallery. So, I went to look who I could CASE a card from for the graduation card, and I was totally SHOCKED to find out that I WAS THE FEATURED STAMPER!!!!! I just couldn't believe it! I am so flattered and extremely honored. . .I am still in disbelief! Wow, me? So, I thought I'd CASE a card from myself for the graduation card! :) This is the card I decided to CASE. I think they're totally different in look, but the same layout. I changed the colors, stamps and part of the embellishments. Hope this makes an okay graduation card for a boy! Thanks for visiting and have a great day! I know mine is off to a GREAT start! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Changito, A Muse sentiment; Paper- Blue Bayou, Certainly Celery, So Saffron, Whisper White; Ink- Chocolate Chip, Palette in Noir, So Saffron, Bordering Blue; Accessories- Making Memories brads, word window punch, Jumbo and Mega circle punches, paper piercer, grosgrain ribbon, blender pen, See You Around wheel.

More Birthday RAKs!

I got some more beautiful birthday cards in the mail! I was so excited! This first one is from Denise Allacher, or Annees on SCS. I just LOVE the colors she chose! Very different, but very vibrant! What a sweet, sweet card! Thank you so much, Denise!

The second card is from another Charmaine, if you can believe it! Charmaine George at Charmaine's Cafe Ink. Charmaine and I have birthdays very close to each other! Imagine that. . .we share the same first name, spelled the same way and have birthdays very close to one another! What are the odds? Anyway, I thought Charmaine's card was just SO CUTE! The wrapped presents are adorable! You can't really tell in the picture, but the main card is not polka-dot paper, but dotted with a white gel pen that gives it amazing dimension! Check out Charmaine's blog for her other wonderful creations! Thanks, Charmaine, for thinking of me! I just love my card!

Catty CASE

This was for today's Limited Supplies Challenge on SCS, Catty CASE. You are challenged to CASE (Copy and Share Everything) a card from the new Stampin' Up Catalog. You could change colors, embellishments or stamp sets, but you had to keep the layout and amount of layers and embellishments the same. This is my version of the card on page 147 of the catalog. I didn't have the On-Board set with the heart, so my chipboard piece is the flower, and I changed the color combination. I thought this card was so cute! I don't usually use chipboard unless challenged to, so I thought this card would be perfect for me to CASE!

As for my birthday date last night, it was WONDERFUL! We went to a Japanese Steakhouse and then to a movie. It was so weird to be out without the girls, but nice at the same time. We went two places that we wouldn't normally take the girls. The movies, we would take them for an appropriate movie, but a Japanese Steakhouse, no way. Savannah has too many food allergies, and with everything being cooked on the same griddle all together, it makes me very nervous to feed her any of it. Both girls were so excited to see us when we got home! Thanks for visiting today and have a wonderful Friday! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- In My Thoughts; Paper- Blue Bayou, Certainly Celery, Purely Pomegranate, So Saffron, Palette O'Prints; Ink- Basic Black; Accessories- On Board Blossoms and Basics, gingham ribbon.

Different

I was looking through my wheels today because I decided to use them since I haven't done much "stampin' around" lately. I came across this wheel that I forgot I even had! It's the Stampin' Up Wonderful wheel. The Ways to Use It Challenge on SCS today was to use ribbon, which is very easy for me since I always use ribbon. The layout, however, took me a while. Then, I decided to use Beate's Sketch Challenge that I never got to! So, that's how this card happened. I also used some new colors! Groovy Guava, River Rock and Soft Sky. I think the card is growing on me, but I'm not sure. It took me longer than I wanted it to, and now I have to run out the door! Maybe I'll like it better when I come back home! :) I have to take my sister and her new baby to the doctor's and then later my husband and I are going out for MY BIRTHDAY! This is a VERY big deal because we actually have a babysitter lined up, which almost never happens! I'm so excited! It's kind of like a first date! LOL Hope you have a wonderful day! I know I will! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Wonderful wheel; Paper- Groovy Guava, Soft Sky, River Rock, DCWV dark brown; Ink- Groovy Guava, Chocolate Chip; Accessories- Grosgrain ribbon, circle punch, slit punch, paper piercer.

Celebrate!

Happy Fourth of July! This was for today's Sketch Challenge on SCS. Of course I had to make a patriotic card! I haven't used my Love It set in a while and I thought it would be perfect. I also used my Faux Ribbon set from Papertrey Ink. I love working with Love It because it has a matching brass template complete with a piercing guide, so not only can you dry emboss an image, but you can line it with paper piercings! I just LOVE that! The sentiment is from the Little Lady set by Papertrey Ink. Hope you have a wonderful day today! Celebrate safely! SUPPLIES USED: Stamps- Love It, Faux Ribbon, Little Lady; Ink- Purely Pomegranate, Blue Bayou, Basic Black; Paper- Purely Pomegranate, Blue Bayou, Shimmery White; Accessories- Love It Classy Brass template, grosgrain ribbon, paper piercer.