Sympathy SSC244, CTD181

Squeezing in another post today, so I can make the Stamping 411 deadline!  Unfortunately, we needed a sympathy card this week, and as I was looking through my DP for something appropriate, I found some beautiful papers that matched the Color Throwdown colors for this week:

I let most of the work be done by the paper....I added a couple of sentiments, some nesties & pearls, and finished it with a seam binding bow:

I used the Stamping 411 sketch for this week:

and tucked in a little sentiment under the bow:

Now, off to the mail it goes!  Edited to add:  Paper is K&Co Cut & Paste Designer pad, Naturals Ivory card base, Blush Blossom, and Certainly Celery; sentiments are from SU's Thoughts & Prayers and Verve; seam binding is from SU.  

This morning I moved this little table & chairs to our living room so that Cassidy would have a place to sit, look out the window (one of her first words was "tree"), read and play.  This set belonged to my maternal grandmother; the bottoms of many of my cousins warmed it for probably 60 years or so!

Now, another generation is putting it to good use!  Have a blessed day, everyone!

Monkey Challenge 97

Happy Wednesday, everyone!  This card today is for my sweet friend Denise!  I don't usually post cards before they are sent to their recipients, but I was so excited about the REASON for the card, I had to share it early.  So Denise, this is on its way to you!  If you check out Denise's blog, ChezMoi Creations, you'll see that she not only stamps but she knits too!  And this is what she made for my wee little DGD:

Aren't they sweet?  Three shades of pink and some fun sparkly buttons!  Cassidy is not real happy about mittens right now, but she will wear them if it is cold enough outside!  I can't wait to see them on her little hands!  Thanks, Denise!  And now, to my little thank you card:

I used the Monkey Challenge sketch 97, which is Anything Goes, and I turned it on its side to make better use of my cute little image:

A few fun papers from my stash along with an embossed button and some floss, finished it off! 

You know those moments when all is quiet and you start to panic, because it's TOO quiet, and what could they be up to??  This was one of those moments:

She climbed up on the couch all by herself to read her book!   Thanks for stopping by today!

CQC126 & DS40

Happy Tuesday!  It's ColourQ day and Arielle has a fun color challenge for us today!  Just check out these cute little place settings:

I chose not to focus on the owls this time around, but I did think that the colors begged for a natural theme!!  Here you go:

I don't normally find mushrooms too appealing on a card, but I thought these colors would be fun with the little mushrooms from Funky Four!  I stamped one in each of  three challenge colors and popped them up on an embossed oval from Designer Frames:

Using an assortment of polka-dotted DPs, I used the sketch from Deconstructed Sketch, #40:

The other embellishments include some bakers twine and matching brads;  the card is note-card size; just perfect for a quick little thank you!  I hope you'll play along with these fun colors.  Be sure to share your creation with us at the CQC blog, and check out what the other designers created this week as well!  We can't wait to see them!  You may even be chosen as the ColourQ Queen!

We have learned to play "Ring-a-Round-a-Rosy"!!!  Of course, the falling down part is the best!

Merry Monday #9

Happy Monday everyone!  I hope you all had a good weekend!  I was thrilled to find out that my friend Lesley asked me to be the guest designer this week for her Merry Monday challenge!  If you are ready to get a head start on your Christmas cards this year, this is the challenge for you!  Each week she has a sketch to get your creative juices flowing, and I just LOVE this week's!  Plus, she is having a little contest giveaway, so you NEED to go check out her blog!  Now, here's the sketch:

And here is my take on it:

I had some lovely papers my friend Martha gave to me, and this particular pattern looked pretty with Pool Party, so I did a monochromatic "snowy" scene.  Pool Party is such a glorious color, but it is a bit difficult to photograph as it is a rather subtle color!  I hope you can see the details!   I used some Nesties to encircle my image, which is embellished with some Dazzling Diamonds "snow":

My sentiment was also embellished with some silver Glimmer Paper and a little ruffled ribbon!   The background panel was embossed with SU's Snow Burst embossing folder.  I was so happy with my card,  I made another one using a little piece of my designer paper that I had left, using a different layout.  For my focal point, I used a tag I picked up on sale after the holidays last year:

I added a sentiment and glttered it up a bit, and tied it all together with a glimmer brad on the tag:

I hope you will play with Lesley and all the other Merry Monday participants with your Christmas card this week! 

Who knew a stapler could be so enthralling???  I think she will be an engineer....if there is something mechanical, she wants to take it apart to see how it works!!!

Paper Players 84

Hi everyone!  It's Sunday, and that means a Paper Players challenge for you!  Today is my turn to hostess, and I have a sketch for you!  Don't panic---it doesn't have to be complicated with lots of layers--you can make it as simple or complex as you like!  Just make sure there are three elements going down the center--you know I like "threes"---and a sentiment across the bottom!  Here's the sketch to get you started:

And here is my take on it:

I put the SAB set Elementary Elegance to work here, pairing it with some Beau Chateau designer paper, stitched on a Very Vanilla panel and mounted on a Marina Mist card.  Each of my three images were overstamped with a portion of the flourished frame, as was the sentiment embellishment:

I even added  a little cut-out crown to top the embellishment!  I hope that you will play along with us this week and share your creation with us over at the Paper Players blog!  While you're there, be sure to check out what the other designers created with the sketch!  Thanks for visiting today!

CC363 & FMS23

I have had a pleasant Saturday afternoon, puttering around in my craft room, and I was able to make a card using the Freshly Made Sketches sketch#23, which I turned on its side:

and I used Color Challenge #363 from the Splitcoaststampers this week, which is Basic Gray, Pretty in Pink and Pink Pirouette:

I began by stamping my Pink Pirouette card with the retired Paisley background stamp in Pretty in Pink ink.   For my main image, I used a digital freebie from the Graphics Fairy which I printed on some BG paper, then brayered with Pretty in Pink ink; I added a computer-generated sentiment and some stamped embellishments using the SAB set Fresh Vintage:

A little gingham ribbon with some pewter hardware finishes it off!  Thanks for visiting today!

JAI106 & CCCB97

My card today is a bit out of the norm for me.  I don't usually put gigantic, multi-layered flowers on my cards since they are incredibly bulky, but I had made this flower a while back and was getting tired of moving it around on my desk, so decided to put it on a card!  The Just Add Ink sketch 106 was perfect for a big flower:

 and and the City Crafter Challenge 97 had a beautiful inspiration,  It's All Natural:

And so here is my card:

I used several "natural" images stamped collage-style on canvas fabric, Crumb Cake and Naturals Ivory cardstock in the colors of Crumb Cake, Soft Suede and Sahara Sand.  Above my flower is a fun little embellishment, and my sentiment is stamped on a little vellum banner:

Thanks for visiting today!

 Cassidy is helping to feed the kitty;  can you guess what happens next?

Mmmmmm.....yep, she ate a piece of cat food!  As she would say, "OH MY!"  Fastest little hand in Pennsylvania!

RR#22, TSS54 & LRW121

Well, sadly, my main computer bit the dust last night, so I am relying on my laptop.  I am praying my computer guru will be able to do his magic quickly so we can get back to normal!!  So if my pictures aren't as "stellar" as usual, bear with me!  But whining won't fix it, so on to my card.....I did three challenges here, which is a little unusual for me.  I did the sketch from Try Stampin' On Tuesday, a new challenge for me:

It's also for the Ribbon Reel Challenge #22, which is to make a "weathered" project using Kraft, white, aqua and red, and use twine or twill.  Here's the photo inspiration:

And finally, the Little Red Wagon challenge #121 is to use chipboard!  So here we go:

My sewing machine stitched a little wonky here; I think it was the silk thread I used. Anyway, I used some canvas and burlap given to me by my wonderful friend Linda, to make a fun flower.  The tag is chipboard, covered with some gingham-stamped cardstock and another little Crumb Cake tag tied on with some linen thread.  

My paper is Real Red and October Afternoon Thrift Shop.  There's not a lot of white in the card; I hope it's still okay for the challenge!  I really had fun making this card!

SSC243 & HSS106 & A Little Tutorial

I made a pretty little monochromatic birthday card with the Stamping 411 sketch:

and using the color block technique from the Hand Stamped Sentiments challenge this week:

Here’s a closeup of the color blocking:

In the P.S. I Love You set from the mini, there’s a circular heart image, and SU has very kindly popped out the center rubber, which I saved and used as a stamp!   I inked it up with Wisteria Wonder ink, stamped once on scrap paper, then stamped on Whisper White.  I did this three times, then stamped the outline floral image from Fabulous Florets.  The rest is pretty straightforward—--an embossed background embellished with some pearls, a little  lace from my stash and a shabby bow!  A lot of people have asked how I make my shabby bows, so here is my really, really easy technique:

1. I use seam binding for my ribbon, either white that I dye with reinkers, or one of the coordinating colors from SU.  I’ll start with the pre-dyed ones.
2. Cut off a liberal amount of binding; if you’re going to make some, you might as well make a stash of it!  Wet the binding; squeeze out all the water.  Crumple it up in a ball; you can twist a rubber band around it a couple times if you like (think tie-dye), pop it in the microwave for 45-second intervals until it is completely dry.  Uncrumple it after the second drying to see how it’s progressing.  It usually takes three dryings for my microwave. 
3. Unravel it and you should have a nice crumply shabby-chic wad of seam binding!  I then just make a loopy bow and tie it with another piece of binding or some floss. 
4. If you want to hand-dye your ribbon, get a little bowl or container and place a few drops of reinker ink and a couple drops of water in it.  (Wearing gloves is helpful unless you don’t mind getting your fingers stained.)  Crumple up the seam binding, swish it around in the dye until it is the color and intensity that you want.  You may need to add more ink if necessary.  I like to start light; you can always add more, but it is difficult to take the color away!
5. Continue as in step 2; I sometimes wrap the binding in a paper towel if I’ve dyed it; this just helps you get the moisture out without making any more of a mess in the microwave!
6. To adhere my shabby bow to a card, I usually resort to my handy-dandy hot glue gun.  Sometimes it’s just quicker and I know it will stay put! 

Hope that’s helpful to you!  Remember, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me, but be sure to give me an email address to which I can respond.

Little Miss Congeniality!